The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant

SECT. I.

1. THis Covenant is a New Covenant; I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, Jet. 31. 31. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, Heb. 8. 8.

In Scripture the word (New) is diversely taken.

1. Sometimes that is styled New, which succeeds another; in Exod. 1. 8. there arose a New King; in Acts 7. 18. this New King is called another King: In this respect this Covenant is a New Covenant, it succeeds another Covenant, a former Covenan • it follows the Covenant of works.

Quest. It may be argued Why the Covenant of works should be first, and the Covenant of grace next?

Sol. We may be satisfied concerning this order: First, from the pleasure of God, that he would have it thus. Secondly, from the wisdom of God, who by this order glorifies his justice in the one, and his mercy in the other. Thirdly, From the capacity of man, who being at the first created righteous, was thereby fitted for a Covenant of works, and his created condition was unmeet for a Covenant of grace; but being fallen, his sinful condition became fit and meet for a Covenant of grace, and utterly unfit for a Covenant of works.

2. Sometimes that is styled New which is wonderful, unusual, the like not heard of before; The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man, Jer. 31. 22. That a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a man-child, this was a new thing, it was wonderful indeed, so Isa. 43. 19. Behold, I will do a New thing, I will even make a way in the Wilderness, and Rivers in the Desert; this was a new work, (that is) wonderful and unusual; In this respect also is the Covenant of grace styled New, (that is) it is a wonderful Covenant; how wonderful is it, that the Lord who was so exceedingly dishonored, and injured, and provoked by sinners, should yet so infinitely condescend to sinners, as to treat afresh with them, and to offer life unto them upon better and surer terms than before; and should promise such exceeding mercies, and give such a gracious Redeemer and Mediator!

There are four things wherein and for which God will be eternally admired. 1. In making this Covenant of grace. 2. In giving his only Son for a Savior. 3. In bringing any sinner to Christ, and into the Covenant. 4. In the glorifying of them that believe.

3. Sometimes that is styled New, which is excellent and very necessary, John 13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; this Commandment is a new Commandment; that is, it is a rare, an excellent, a necessary Commandment; so Revel. 2. 17. To him that overcomes I will give a New name; that is, an excellent name, to be one of the sons of God, which is called a dignity, an excellent privilege, John 1. 12. In this respect also is the Covenant of grace styled New, it is an excellent Covenant, and very necessary.

It is excellent, consider it either comparatively; no Covenant like unto this; that Covenant of works falls exceeding short of it; and that Covenant with nature for the preservation of common life, is not to be compared with it.

Or absolutely in itself; it is all of excellencies; an excellent love, an excellent Christ, the most excellent mercies, and the only excellent happiness.

Or respectively unto us; our hopes, our helps, our comforts, our life, our eternal life lies in this Covenant; all the good which we do enjoy, or can enjoy, or shall ever enjoy, all our springs are in it.

4. Sometimes that is styled New, which is diverse from what it was before; 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; that is, he is not such a creature as he was before; he is renewed, he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this respect also is the Covenant styled New, not only because it is diverse from the Covenant of works, (in the foundation and condition, and qualifications of the persons in Covenant) but also because it is diverse from itself, in respect of the administration of it, after that Christ was manifested in the flesh, and died, and rose again; from the different administration it is called Old and New.

Now it appears with open face, without any veil of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; and God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; and whosoever believes 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It is now like a new Lease fairly written over with a new hand, and new seals, and new witnesses: Though this Covenant be the same for substance in Abraham's and Moses time, yet (upon the coming of Christ) it is new for the manner of administration; it hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passover, nor Sacrifices, nor Ceremonies, nor Types, and Legal Figures which formerly it had; it hath now the Mediator himself to deliver it, and his new seals of Baptism, and the Supper, and is established after a new manner, even by the blood of Christ: and hath many new institutions and adjuncts, &c.

This is the Covenant which God makes with us, even a New Covenant, a Covenant of life upon new terms, a Covenant which hath a new foundation, a Covenant which hath new promises, a Covenant which hath a new original, and spring, a Covenant which hath a new way of claim and title, a Covenant which gives new hopes, and a Covenant which hath new seals and confirmations.

[Use 1] Surely there is infinite reason for us poor and miserable sinners to bless the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New, and especially for making a new Covenant; had the Lord utterly left us, when we left him; had he held us to that first Covenant of works, and proceeded against us for the breach of that Covenant, we had everyone of us forever been condemned and lost; but he was pleased to make a new Covenant with us, where mercy is to be found for sinners, and a Redeemer for transgressors, and a Mediator 'twixt himself and us, and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love, and Christ, and all this springing from his own grace and love! What should oblige our hearts, and raise our thankfulness if this doth not?

2. Then there is no reason for distressed sinners to sink and despair, although they have been Covenant-breakers, and are never able to recompense God, nor to raise up themselves; for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and support of such sinners: And herein God reveals himself to be a God forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and to receive satisfaction for a sinner, though not from the sinner; I say for a sinner by a Mediator who hath likewise purchased reconciliation and favor, and mercy, and salvation for us.

3. Not to refuse this Covenant, this new Covenant; for as it is said of Christ, That there is no other Name given to us by which we must be saved, Acts 4. 12. so there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and save a sinner: as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark, all that got into the Ark were saved; and all who entered not into the Ark were lost; so all who get into this new Covenant, they live and are saved; and all who enter not into this New Covenant, shall die in their sins and perish.

SECT. II.

2. A Second propriety of the Covenant is this, it is a very perfect, plentiful, and rich Covenant. And this will appear we • her you will consider,

1. The Author of this Covenant. 2. Or the Mediator of this Covenant. 3. Or the Covenant itself.

1. The Author of this Covenant, who therein sets out all his gracious fullness; here you shall find him full of love, and therefore the Apostle calls his love, a great love, Ephes. 2. 4. and an exalted love; God commendeth his love towards us, in that whiles we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom. 5. 8. And Saint John calls it a wonderful love; Behold what manner of love the Father ha • h bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! 1 John 3. 1. Nay, Christ himself calls it an inexpressible love. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. John. 3. 16. And the Apostle repeats the love of God as the character and pattern of all love; Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for us.

In mercy, in relation to this Covenant he is said to be rich in mercy, Ephes. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy; nay, to have riches of mercy. Ephes. 3. 16. According to the riches • f his glory; nay, to show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus, Ephes. 2. 7. nay, to be exceeding abundant; 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant, abundant mercy, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope; where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, Rom. 5. 20. Sin doth exceedingly abound by way of extension, and by way of intension, in practice, in degrees, and in deserts; but the mercy or grace of God, it doth over-abound; it is more than enough for the pardoning of the greatest sinners; yea, of all the sins of all his people; his mercy is like himself, infinite and unsearchable: And therefore the Church cries out, Who is a God like unto thee? that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, &c.

In goodness; not only full of an essential goodness, (which is his own eternal and infinite perfection) but also full of a Covenant goodness; O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Psal. 31. 19. He is great in goodness, Nehem. 9. 35. He is abundant in goodness, Exod. 34. 6. How great is his goodness? Zach. 9. 17. The riches of his goodness, Rom. 2. 4. No good thing will he with-hold, Psal. 84. 11.

2. The Mediator of this Covenant; how full and rich is Jesus Christ? Of his fullness do all we receive, he fills all in all: The Godhead dwells bodily in him, in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; there are the unsearchable riches of Christ; he is a perfect Redeemer, and is able to save to the utmost.

3. The Covenant itself: There is nothing left out, and there is nothing which can be added unto it; the wisdom and goodness of God have made it a complete storehouse and treasury of all the good, and of all the help which all the children of God have, do, or ever shall need. Here is grace, and here is glory; here is all things pertaining to life, and all things pertaining to godliness; here is for the life present, and for the life which is to come; here are all sorts of comforts for the distressed, and all sorts of helps for the needy, and all sorts of defences for the exposed; here is the Sun, and the Shield, and exceeding great reward.

[Use.] This is an exceeding stay and comfort to all the people of God's Covenant; other people are in want, and know not whether to go for help, or for any good; but you have a good God to go unto, and a good Covenant to go unto. Other people may know whither to go for this or that particular good, but they know not whither to go for all the good which they do need; they may go to one friend for counsel, and to another for alms, and to another for physic; but to whom can they go for mercy to pardon their sins, or for peace to ease their troubled souls? but you who are the people of God, you have a Covenant to go unto which contains all manner of good for all the conditions of your souls, and for all the conditions of your bodies. Here is mercy to pardon, and loving-kindness to comfort, and righteousness to justify, and grace to sanctify, and peace to quiet, and glory to save; here is food for the body, and raiment, and safety, and blessing, and defense; here is all; others may give, and find a little help, and a little comfort, and a little provision; but you have a Covenant to go unto which can give you all things richly to enjoy, abundant goodness, abundant compassions, abundant mercies, abundant love, abundant grace, abundant joy, abundant consolation, and abundant salvation; all things, all good things are treasured up in this Covenant, and there they are in their perfection; not one good without another, but all good together; not a little of one, and a little of another, but every good in perfection and fullness; a perfect God, and a perfect Mediator, and perfect love and mercy, and righteousness, &c.

2. This is an exceeding encouragemtnt unto you under any wants, or in any great distresses, to go by faith unto your God, who hath made a full and perfect Covenant with you. O thou distressed sinner, here is mercy enough laid up for thee, and here is peace enough, and goodness enough, and power enough, and grace enough, and help enough. God doth not promise unto you a little of his mercy, nor a little of his kindness, nor a little of the righteousness of Christ, nor a little of holiness, nor a little of spiritual joy; Psal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide, (enlarge the desires of your hearts, you do not crave enough) and I will fill it, (I will plentifully answer, and satisfy you) Eat O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly O beloved! Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ. Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly unto the Throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need; you have no cause to be dejected, either with the multitude of your wants, or with the depth and greatness of your distresses; nor have you any cause to doubt and fear the supply and redress of these; for God hath made a full, rich and perfect Covenant with you; whiles there are answerable supplies, and super-abounding helps, and these in a Covenant, and for you, there is more reason to set your faith on work to fetch in the supplies, than to set your fear on work because of your wants; in all your distressed and needy conditions, be pleased to look on this Covenant, (seriously do so) bring your wants and distresses thither, and there shall you find proper helps, and plentiful engagements; and now stir up your faith to believe, and to take hold on God: Lord, here is the mercy which I need, and here is the exceeding riches of mercy which I do need, and here is the love, the great love, and here is the grace, the abundant grace, and here is the comfort, and the abundant comfort, and here is the strength, the greatness of that strength which I do need, here it is laid up for thee by me; I come unto thee in the Name of Christ, (whose I am) and I beseech thee abundantly to pardon me, to supply all my need according to thy riches in glory.

SECT. III.

3. A Third property of this Covenant, is, that it is a giving Covenant; Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between thee and me; in the Original it is, I will give thee my Covenant; as God spake unto Phineas, Num. 25. 12. I give unto him my Covenant of peace; so he doth give a Covenant unto his people, Isa. 42. 6. I give thee for a Covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. Isa. 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people; survey the Covenant all over, you shall find it to be a giving Covenant in all the particulars of it.

God gives himself to be ours, therefore he is called our Husband, Isa. 54. 5. The husband gives himself to the wife, so doth God to us.

And he gives Christ; he gave his only begotten Son, John 3. 16. and Christ did give himself, Gal. 2. 20.

And he gives his love, Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my love.

And he gives his peace. John 14. 27. My peace I give unto you.

And he gives eternal life. John 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life.

And he gives his Spirit. He will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11. 13.

And he gives the new heart, and the new spirit. Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.

And he gives faith; Unto you it is given to believe. Phil. 1. 29. By grace are you saved through faith. It is the gift of God, Ephes. 28.

And he gives repentance. Acts 11. 18. Then hath God given (or granted) unto the Gentiles repentance unto life.

And he gives mercy. 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus.

And he also freely gives us all things. Rom. 8. 32. He gives grace, and he gives glo • y, Psal. 84. 11.

And he gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by them we might be partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4.

This Covenant is a Covenant of gifts; all that God promiseth in it, is given; and all that God requires of us is given; and all that we are to give again to God, is first given unto us by God.

And there are two reasons, why this Covenant is an altogether giving Covenant.

1. One is our universal brokenness, and impotency, and insufficiency; our sinful fall hath so ship-wrackit and ruined us, that we have nothing at all left us; we are naked, and poor, and miserable, Rev. 3. 17. Without strength, Rom. 5. 6. Not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, 2 Cor. 3. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not received? I Cor. 4. 7. Such a brok • n vessel is the sinner, such a self-undoing, and destitute creatures; like the Prodigal who spent all, and had neither bread nor raiment, nor shoes, nor anything; and therefore his father must provide all, and give all; he must give him housing, and he must give him raiment, and he must give him shoes for his feet, and he must give him meat to eat, and wine to drink. Where the creature is universally miserable, and utterly impotent, there must be nothing but giving; Mercy must give all, or the sinner is undone.

2. Another is God's inten • ion and purpose in this Covenant, and that in the praise of the glory of his grace, Ephes. 1. 6, His intent in making this Covenant, is wholly and only to exalt himself, to proclaim his own glory; and therefore he will give all, and the sinner is to receive all, that all the glory and praise of mercy, of grace, of blessings, may be returned unto himself all • ne. Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him? and it shall be recomp • nced unto him again. Ver. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to wh • m be glory forever, Amen.

[Use 1] If this Covenant be a giving Covenant, then the poor and needy may traffic at it. If it were a buying and selling Covenant (in proper sense) then poor sinners must despair; but it is a giving Covenant, and therefore poor sinners have hope; May not the poor (who keep no house of their own) yet go to the rich man's door where all is given?

When we survey our hearts and conditions, we find a world of wants, and when we survey the Covenant, we find a Heaven of supplies.

Objection. But then we fear, and dispute, and reason, But how shall we get this mercy, and gain that blessing, and enjoy that help? We have nothing, and we can bring nothing; the Well indeed is deep, but we have nothing to draw.

S • l. True, but yet God can give all, though you can bring nothing; and according 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 to the tenor of this Covenant, He will give all, the greatest and the least; But will he give me food and raiment? yes, he will give you bread, and he will give you double clothing.

O, But will he give me Grace? yes, he will give grace and glory.

O, But will he give me Christ? yes he will give his Christ, that greatest gift that ever was given to sinners; he is the gift of God; O but will he give me mercy to pardon my sins? and all my sins? yes, he will show mercy, and will forgive all thy sins whereby thou hast sinned against him; O but will he give me Faith? yes, he will draw you to Christ, and put forth an Almighty power to make you to believe; O but will he give me another heart? yes, I will give thee a new heart, &c. O but I must pray if I would have these, and I cannot pray! why? and it is his Covenant to give you the Spirit of grace and supplication; Let these things quiet your sorrowful and troubled souls; There is enough in the Covenant for you, and all that is there, is to be given.

2. Be content to come and receive, seeing God is pleased in this Covenant to be giving: He is all upon the giving hand, and we should be all upon the rec • iving hand; The givi • g works is God's work, and the receiving work is our work; he finds the gift, you must open your hand and take it. O what a blessed Covenant is this, wherein you may have all for asking and receiving! Mat. 7. 7. Ask, and it shall be given. James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and it shall be given him. John 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Now there are four qualities, which if you could get them, you would then be content and willing to come unto God, and beg of him, and receive of him what he will give (and without these you will not do so.)

1. One is poverty of spirit; you must be poor in spirit: the poor man speaks supplications, saith Solomon; It was poor Lazarus that came to the rich man's d • or; and it is the poor sinner (one who is truly sensible of his spiritual wants and miseries) who will come to the door of mercy, and cry out, O Father of mercies give me mercy! O God of grace give me grace! O give me Christ, &c. If you be rich and increased, and stand in need of nothing (as Laodicea was) if you have enough of your own; if you think that you are righteous, and need not Christ, and need not mercy, &c. you will never come to God, and beg him to give you these.

2. A second is hum • lity of heart; a proud man scorns to beg, and scorns to receive; he will not be beholding to anybody; it is the humble man who will acknowledge mercy, and bless for mercy, and beg for mercy, and be glad he may have mercy upon receiving terms. God gives grace to the humble, and the humble are thankfully contented to receive grace from God.

3. A praying heart, will be glad to be receiving.

4. A fourth is Faith; Faith is a receiving grace; therefore believing is styled receiving; To as many as received him, he gave this dignity to be th • Sons of God, even to them • hat believe on him. Faith receives Christ, and receives mercy, and receives love, and receives righteousness, and receives blessings, and receives all the gifts of God. Though God hath all to give, yet you have no hand to receive, until you get faith.

3. Is the Covenant a giving Covenant? Is it such a Covenant wherein the Lord undertakes to give all the good mentioned therein? This then yields manifold comfort to the people of God, who are in Covenant with him.

1. If God undertakes to give all, then certainly he undertakes to find all good for us; If he undertakes to give a Christ, he must find out that Christ; and if he undertakes to give you mercy, he then must find out that mercy, &c.

2. If God undertakes to give all, then he must find all from himself, and of his own; Men many times give away that which is none of their own; but God gives nothing but what is his own, but what comes out of his own stock and treasury.

3. If God undertakes to give all in the Covenance, then you shall be surely helped; you have good reason to expect it, for your Father hath all to give; How much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask? will not a father give to his poor child? Certainly your God is an infinite God, a most gracious and glorious God, and perfectly all-sufficient; he hath heaven and earth in his own possession; he hath all the good to dispose of which is good; he must needs be infinite in mercy, who can give all mercies, and infinite in grace, who can give all grace, and infinite in glory, who can give all glory, &c. For as this shows his infiniteness that he hath all good to give, so this shows his perfection, that when he hath given all this, yet there is no diminution made in his stock at all.

4. If God undertakes to give you all that is in his Covenant, then unquestisnably he loves you. Indeed he gives many things to the wicked his enemies, whom he hares; but to undertake to give all the good in the Covenant, this proceeds from his great love, and from his special love; Doth not God love you, who is willing to give you his love? and to give you his Christ the Son of his love? and to give you all the graces of his Spirit, the fruits of his love?

5. If God undertakes to give you all, even the greatest of mercies, can you reasonably imagine that he will stick with you for the least of necessary mercies and blessings? How shall he not with him, freely also give •• all things?

SECT. IV.

A fourth property of this Covenant is this, It is a free or gracious Covenant; By grace are ye saved, Ephes. 2. 5. By grace are ye saved, Verse 8. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, 2 Thes. 2. 16. Being justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3. 24. I will love them freely; Hosea 14. 4. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely, Revel. 22. 17. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely, Revel. 21. 6. He freely forgave them both, Luke 7. 42. The things that are freely given unto us of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12.

This Covenant is gracious or free in three respects. 1. For the constitution of it. 2. For the reception into it. 3. For the donations from it.

1. For the exceeding framing out, or constituting of this Covenant, when was it? and with whom was it? and whence was it? All these will plainly demonstrate, that this Covenant is a very free and gracious Covenant.

1. Consider the time when it was made and set forth; why immediately upon the fall; then when man-kind had sinned and transgressed the first Covenant; then when God might have glorified his justice upon all sinners, yet then was the time that he promised this Covenant; The seed of the woman shall break, the Serpents head, Gen. 3. 15. Surely this must needs be gracious, then to set up a Throne of grace, when sinful man was to receive his sentence at the Bar of Justice.

2. Consider the persons with whom this Covenant is made; It was made not with fallen Angels, but with men; why not with them, as well as with us? no answer can be given but this of grace; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; Nay, and why with fallen men at all? no answer can be given for this neither, but only the grace of God, and his own good pleasure; so it pleased him, and so it seemed good unto him.

3. Consider whence the making of this Covenant did arise; Did it arise from any goodness in any man? O no, All the world was found guilty before God, and every mouth was stopped by reason of sin, Rom. 3. 19. Or did it arise from any desire or entreaty of man? not at all; but as man first brought in sin and death, so God first thought of mercy and life. He is found of them that sought him not, Isa. 65. 1. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in •• is thy help, Hosea 13. 9. The Lord set his love upon you to take you into Covenant, &c. because he loved you, Deut. 7. 7, 8.

2. For the reception into this Covenant, here the graciousness or freeness of it will also manifestly appear.

Consider the persons taken or brought into this Covenant either absolutely in themselves, or respectively in their dealing towards God, or comparatively with others; As to all these considerations, this Covenant is a very gracious and free Covenant.

1. Consider the persons now taken into Covenant, what they were is themselves. The Prophet tells you what they were, in Ezekiel 16. 3. Thy birth and thy Nativity was of the Lord of Canaan; thy Father was an Am • rite, and thy mother an Hittite. Ver. 4. Thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou wasted in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. Ver. 5. No eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion on thee; but thou wast cast out into the open field, to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born. Ver. 6. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, be hold thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness; yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into Covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Yea, and the Apostle tells us what persons they were, whom yet God took into Covenant. Titus 3. 3. We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Ver. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appeared. Ver. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. In these places we see that there can be nothing found in us, either as to our natures, or as to our works, which might move God to take us into Covenant; but enough in both for him to reject us; and yet notwithstanding both, he is pleased to enter into Covenant with us, and save us; This must needs be grace and mercy.

2. Consider the per • ons taken now into Covenant, in their former respectivenesse of state and actions towards God; The Apostle saith, That whiles we were yet enemies, Christ died for us; And when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, Rom. 5. 8, 10. Surely mercy shewn to enemies, must needs be free mercy; and to receive enemies into favor, this must be gracious favor; yet to do this to enemies even in thei • hostility, for God to take his enemies into his hands of mercy, and become a singular friend to them, even in the time of their raging and fighting against him; this must needs be of grace. It was remarkable favor in David, to spare the life of Saul his enemies much more in God, not only to spare the lives of sinners and enemies, but to give them their souls and his Christ, and his mercy, and his salvation. You read of those in Acts 2. 23. they were men who had by wicked hands crucified and slain the Lord Jesus; and verse 13. at the present were •••• king at the Apostles, as if they had been a company of drunkards; These men are full of new wine; Yet these men, and at this time, and in this posture, God laid hold on by his grace, and convinced them, and humbled them, and gave them faith, and brought them into this Covenant with himself, as you may see from verse 37. to 47. The like you read of Saul, when he was raging and waxing •• d, and breathing out persecutions against Christ, and against the Church of Christ; Being in this woeful wretched posture, the Lord takes hold of him, and left him not until he had brought him into this blessed Covenant of grace and mercy.

3. Consider persons comparatively with other persons; you shall find that the taking of any person into Covenant is gracious and free; in comparing of persons with persons, ordinarily God passeth by those on whom we should six admiration, and look at some cause and reasons of pre-acceptation, and chooseth those, and brings in those in whom nothing at all is to be pre-supposed. Sometimes he passeth by the greater persons, and takes in the meaner persons, he passeth by the wise, and takes in the foolish; he passeth by the mighty, and takes in the weak; he passeth by the noble, and takes in the base. 1 Cor. 1. 2 • . Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. Ver. 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, and the weak things of the world. Ver. 28. and base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not. Ver. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence. So sometimes of persons, whereof some are more notorious and wicked, and vile, and others are not so abominable; he is pleased to leave the lesser sort of sinners, and to bring in the vilest of sinners; Publicans and Harlots were brought in into the Kingdom of God, when the superstitious and righteous Pharisees were excluded; Paul the chiefest of sinners was taken in, and others were left; Mary Magdalon was brought in, and others past by; and why doth God do this, but that men should acknowledge that it is no worthiness of the sin; that brings him in, nor any unworthiness of the sinner that shuts him out? but all springs from the grace of God alone; that he brings not in any sinner upon his own account, but only upon the account of free grace.

3. Lastly, the Covenant is free as to the dispensations and donations of it; what is 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 anything 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 Christ's 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.

Objection. But some may say, God is not free in doing of his people good, because he hath by promise bound himself to do them good.

Solution. I answer. 1. It was the freeness of his grace to make all those promises. 2. Though he binds himself in promises to do us good, yet he doth not accomplish those promises upon the reason of our goodness or deserts, but upon the account of his own mercifulness, and goodness, and graciousness.

Obj. But he promiseth many things conditionally, and lets them out upon such and such conditions, and herefore not freely.

Sol. I answer.

1. Every kind of condition is not opposite to grace, as I shall shortly demonstrate unto you.

2. Whatsoever condition he makes with his people for the enjoyment of any good, he doth freely give, and work that condition in them.

3. No condition on our part hath any reason of merit in it, which is the thing opposite to grace, but it is only a means by which we come certainly to enjoy that which God is pleased graciously to give; In this respect we are said to be justified by faith, and to be saved by faith, and yet we are also justified by grace, and saved by grace; Faith you see is put in as a condition, and yet it excludes not grace; Nay, because by faith, therefore by grace; for our faith and God's grace can well agree, though God's grace and man's deserts can never agree.

Now lets make a little Use of all this.

[Use. 1] Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant? O what cause have we poor and unworthy sinners to bless God for all this! O Beloved! it is grace which is the life of this Covenant, and which is life to our souls; it is not all the love that is promised in the Covenant, it is not all the mercy that is promised in the Covenant, it is not all the holiness that is promised in the Covenant, it is not all the comforts and joys, and peace, and blessings which are promised in the Covenant, it is not that eternal life, and glorious salvation promised in the Covenant, it is not Jesus Christ, and all the purchases of Christ drawn into this Covenant; none of these, nor all these would be any hope, or any encouragement, or any life at all unto us, were the graciousness of the Covenant left out. If the Lord should say unto us, Here is the sweetest love that ever sinner tasted of, but you must deserve it; alas, then I cannot expect it. Here is the precious Christ, the Author of salvation, but you must deserve him; alas then I shall never enjoy him; here is pardoning mercy to forgive all your sins, but you must deserve it; O then I shall never partake of it. As he said Tolle meum & tolle Deum, so say I, Tolle gratiam & tolle omnia; take away grace, and take away all; then take away Christ, and take away God, and take away mercy, and take away heaven, and take away hope, and take away all; the sinner is utterly lost upon any account, but that of grace only; it is this graciousness which makes him capable, and makes him hopeful; here is a loving God, and he will love you freely; here is a merciful God, and he will pardon you freely; here is a converting God, and he will receive you graciously; here is a good God, and he will bless you graciously, &c. Now the sinner begins to have hope, and begins to hearken; If there be a Covenant of grace, why should I despair? If it be altogether gracious, if it be raised by grace, and published by grace, and admits and receives by grace, and lets out all by grace, there is yet hope that I may escape perishing, that I may be delivered, that I may find mercy and favor; grace looks for no worthiness, and grace passeth by all unworthiness, and grace may look on, and pity and help the greatest of sinners; blessed be God who hath sweetened all his mercies, and all his undertakings, and all his blessings, and all his givings, with freeness and graciousness.

2. Is the Covenant which God makes with with us, a free and gracious Covenant? then stand out no longer; be aliens to God no longer, be strangers to his Covenant no longer; grace makes your way clear and open; it beats down all the mountains that did stand in your way.

It is said of Abraham, that against hope he believed in hope: so against all the unhopefulnesse from yourselves, you should believe from the hopefulnesse in the Covenant of grace; yea, and above hope, believe in hope; when you consider the greatness of the blessings in the Covenant, they seem to be above hope; but when you consider the graciousness in the bestowing of them, they are now under hope; Ho, all you that hear me this day, hearken unto me; The graciousness of the Covenant will prove unto you either your sweetest salvation, or else your heaviest condemnation; if it doth not prove a strong encouragement to bring you into the Covenant, it will certainly prove the heaviest and bitterest aggravation upon you for standing out against the Covenant. O beloved, yet be serious and wise, and make in to God! you may be received graciously; your sins have been exceeding great, but the Covenant holds out more exceeding mercy joined with more exceeding grace. Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; If you come in to God, his Covenant is to forgive all your sins, and to forgive them freely. Your worthiness is none at all, and yet you may come in, and God according to his Covenant will love you freely; you may have all freely, a God, a Christ, love, mercy, forgiveness, the holy Spirit, then new heart, the salvation of your souls freely. Therefore,

1. Refuse him not, and do not trifle away your precious souls, whiles you have a day of grace, and a Covenant of grace tendered unto you to come in; Beware you refuse not him that speaketh, neither neglect so great salvation. God neither will, nor possibly can fall lower or easier than he doth with you in his gracious Covenant.

2. Fear not whether you shall be looked on, or received of God: he saith he will receive you graciously; If a company of poor men were envited by a rich man, Come and I will give you money, and receive and feed you freely, you shall have all your wants supplied freely, would they be afraid to accept the offer? Do not make another Covenant than God is willing to make with you; neither make any other Articles than God himself hath annexed unto this Covenant; he saith it is a gracious Covenant; say not you it is not so; he hath said he will receive you graciously a say not you but he will not; he saith that he will love you freely, and justify you freely, and save you freely; do not you say, But God will do none of these; O no! God is truth itself, and he will perform the truth to Jacob, and his mercy to Abraham, Micah 7. 20. Therefore fear not, but catch and take hold on this grace of God.

3. Come in and make thy supplications to God. Come in and confess thy sins, and thy unworthiness, and cry out unto God in the Name of Christ, O Lord, I have sinned against thee, and I am unworthy to be made one of thy people; but yet look on me graciously, and bring me into the Bond of thy Covenant; Thou sayest thou wilt give all, and all freely; O save me freely, and love me freely, and justify me freely! freely give me Christ, and freely give me faith, and freely give me mercy, &c.

3. Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant? Then let all who are brought into Covenant remember two things.

1. To be humble all their days; you differ indeed from other men now, and you have a different relation from them, and different conditions from them, and different enjoyments from them, and different hopes from them; I, but who or what made you thus to differ? nothing in you, nothing of your own; you were in the same lump of sin and confusion, and in the same common Rode of destruction with other men; it was the mere grace of God that made the difference; it was his free love, and his free mercy, and his free Spirit, and his free call, and his free giving of Christ unto you, and of faith unto you; therefore do not bless yourselves but grace; nor glory in yourselves but in grace; was it not the root which bred and bare the branches? glory in the root, but do not glory in yourselves; glory in the grace of God which is the only root of your lives, hopes, enjoyments, all.

2. Remember still that you are in a Covenant of grace. The Covenant is not a Covenant of grace only, whiles you are brought in, but it is a Covenant of grace after that you are brought in unto it; you could find nothing to rest on before; nor must you find anything to rest on but the grace of God, after that you are got into the Covenant of grace; you shall find wants still, and weaknesses still, and unworthiness still; but withal remember that you are under a Covenant of grace still; what's that? my meaning is, that God will still deal with you in a gracious way, and you may go unto him still upon his own gracious terms, and (as so) expect continual helps and supplies from him. Save me for thy mercies sake, said David. Receive us graciously, said the Church; As your admission into the Covenant owes itself wholly to the grace of God, so your pleading and expectations, and confidences must still look at the same grace; for as he loves you freely, so he blesseth you freely: and as he hath done you much good already upon gracious reasons, so he will continue to do you good, and good all your days upon the same terms.

O how vainly and simply do we trouble and disquiet our own souls, as if the gracious Covenant were sometimes free, and sometimes not free; that some of the things promised in the Covenant must drop out freely, and yet other things must be pumped out by something of our own; that the lesser mercies are free, but the greater mercies must come off upon harder terms and conditions; that our coming into Covenant, this is all of grace; but our receipts from the Covenant, these are not so! truly these are many times our thoughts; but the Lord knows that the thoughts of man are vain, and these are so; for as we are found by grace, and made by grace, so we live, and are brought up by grace till we come to glory. And as our admissions into the Covenant are only gracious, so all our receptions are so, and must be so all our days, that God alone may have all the glory.

SECT. V.

5. A Fifth property of this Covenant, is this, It is an ordered Covenant, a well-ordered Covenant. 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: This Covenant is not a casual, sudden, rash, confused, indigested work, but it is an ordered work; it is made upon the counsel, and wisdom, and love, and care of the infinite and perfect God, and still so managed and carried on.

There are five things which do show that this Covenant is an ordered Covenant, and a well-ordered Covenant.

1. The adequate suitableness or answerableness of it to all and everyone of the sinners wants, and straits, and mis • ries, and necessities, and desires. Let any want whatsoever befall a sinner, let his strait and necessity be what it may be, yet here is an help, and here is a remedy, and here is a suitable succor for him in this Covenant. Do'st thou want a reconciled God? here he is; doest thou want a Christ? here he is; doest thou want faith, holiness, patience, meekness, love, any spiritual grace? here it is; dost thou want peace and rest, and ease, and joy, and comfort for a troubled conscience? here it is; dost thou want anything which respects thy soul? here it is; or anything that respects thy body? here it is; take any sinner under any want at any time of his life, the Covenant contains an answerable help, and therefore it is an ordered Covenant, and a well-ordered Covenant; that Common Wealth is well-ordered, where no wholesome Law, and no wholesome Remedy is wanting for the people.

2. The right placing of all persons, and of all things in this Covenant; things are well-ordered, when they are well-placed; a thing out of place is out of order; when the Master is in his place, and the servants in their place and the children in their place, now the family is rightly ordered. Now in the Covenant all the persons are set in their right places; Christ keeps his place as Mediator, and God the Father keeps his place as a Donor, and the believing sinner his place as a receiver; here it is revealed what Christ is to do, and what the Father will do, and what the believer is to do; and all things are set in their right place, not promiscuously and confusedly, but with an orderly regard unto sinners; everyone hath a right proportion set out, everyone hath a right portion set out; here is hope for one that despairs, and here is ease for one that is laden, and here is peace for one who is broken-hearted, and here is mercy for one that is penitent, and here is a Christ for one that hath faith, and here is redemption for one in bondage, and here is righteousness for one that is ungodly, and here is graciousness for one that is unworthy, and here is riches for one that is poor, and here is help for one that is needy, and here is strength for one that is weak, and here is balm for one that is wounded; mercy is well-ordered, and comfort is well-ordered; and a Mediator well-ordered, and righteousness well-ordered, &c.

3. The motions or workings of all things in this Covenant to the right end; when everything acts to its right end, this shows a right ordering; now in this Covenant everything works to the right end, which is to the praise and glory of God's grace; God himself works for this, and Jesus Christ works for this, and every good thing given and received works for this, and every believer who is brought into Covenant works for this. Christ is given, and mercy is given, and grace is given, and glory is given, and because all is given, therefore all exalts the glory of God's grace. Christ is the surety, and Christ is sent, and Christ died, and Christ made satisfaction, and Christ made peace, and Christ purchased all for the sinner, and this also exalts the grace of God towards sinners; the sinner is called by grace, and made a believer, and as a believer he receives all by grace, and he acts in the strength of grace, and is led on and preserved by grace, and what he is, he is by grace, and what he works, he works by grace, and what he hopes for, he hopes for by grace, and that which he rests on is grace, and what he magnifies and sets up, is not himself, nor anything of his own, but only the grace of God.

4. All the good of the Covenant is dispensed in a right season; and this also shows that it is a well-ordered Covenant: when things are out of time, they are out of order. If Snow or Frost should come in the time of Harvest, this would be disorderly; and if physic should come when the person is dead, this would be disorderly. Things are well-ordered, when they come neither too soon, nor too late, but in the very season when we need them, and when they will do us good: And after this manner are all the dispensations of this Covenant; they are let out, and come in the very time a • d minute of our • eed. When a poor sinner knows not what to do, then doth Christ appear, and then doth mercy appear, and then doth help appear: Isa. 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 2 Cor. 6. 2. He saith I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee; when David's heart was overwhelmed and ready to faint, then God took him up and comforted him: And when the Church was as a woman forsaken, and grieved in spirit, then saith God, with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee; when Ephraim was ashamed, and even confounded, then saith God, My bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy on him; when Paul was pressed above measure, and his own strength was found insufficient against Satan's temptations, then he received an answer, my grace is • ufficient for thee. O beloved! thus is the Covenant ordered that you shall have mercy in the fit time, and help in the best time, and deliverance in the best time, and answers to your prayers in the best time; though you have not your desires presently answered, yet your God is a gracious God, and therefore intends your good; and he is a wise God, and therefore knows the best time; and he is a faithful God, and therefore will lose no time.

5. This Covenant is so framed, that there is still a strong foundation of hope and confidence for a poor sinner; and by this it appears that it is a well-ordered Covenant; here is a firm foundation laid.

1. For the admission of poor sinners; If a Christ and Mediator, if mercy in all the abundance of it, if free grace in all the glory of it, may be esteemed a fair foundation for hope and confidence, here everyone of them stands ready to make way for the sinner, I will satisfy for all his sins, and make peace for him, saith Christ the Mediator; I will forgive and abundantly pardon all his sins, saith the merciful God; I will love him freely, and receive him graciously, saith the God of love and grace.

2. For the impetration and assecution of all the good that a poor sinner doth need or can desire: For in this Covenant there is a Christ who merits all, and a God who promiseth to give all, and hath bound himself to perform all, and who rejoiceth over his people to do them good, and accounts it his praise and honor to accomplish and perform unto them all the good which he promiseth unto them, and puts them upon it still to call, and still to trust, and still to receive from him.

3. For the preservation and continuation of them in this Covenant; for the Lord hath sworn the everlastingness of it, and he gives all effectually to hold up and maintain an everlasting union and communion 'twixt himself and his people, and keeps them by his own power through faith unto salvation, and charges none other but Jesus Christ himself to look to them, and to keep them in his Name; and he undertakes this charge, and will fully execute it, and faithfully; and therefore as he conquers all the enemies of his servants, (sin and Satan, and the world) so he furnisheth them with all graces accompanying salvation, and still strengthens those graces until they come to receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls; [Use 1] and surely this Covenant must needs be well-ordered, which opens a way to receive in poor sinners, and which hath reasons within itself, and upon which the received sinner may with confidence plead for all good, and which will keep them forever fast with God.

Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant, and a well-ordered Covenant? then certainly the wisdom of God is in it, as well as the goodness of God: the goodness of God is in it, as to all the mercies and blessings wherewith this Covenant is furnished; and the wisdom of God is in it, as to the placing and disposing, and dispensing of all those mercies and blessings: Therefore take heed of displacing that order which God hath set in his Covenant; we do displace the order of the Covenant, and consequently do presume to correct the wisdom of God, when

1. We do apply and interest ourselves in the benefits of the Covenant; before we do apply God himself, and interest ourselves in him; to lay hold on his mercies before we lay hold on himself; to appropriate the purchase of Christ before we do embrace and appropriate Christ himself; this is to disorder and displace the Covenant, which first propounds God himself, and Christ himself to be received, and then the portion of all good things promised after this.

2. We do disjoyne the things in the Covenant which God hath ordered to come together; as when we will have the mercy of the Covenant, but not the repentance of the Covenant; and the hope in Christ, from faith in Christ; and the promised salvation without the promised holiness which leads unto that salvation.

3. We do expect the gifts of the Covenant, without the reasons of the Covenant; upon the account of our goodness, and not upon the account of God's graciousness.

4. We do limit God in the dispensations of his Covenant; in his answers, helps and blessings, to our time, and to our measure, and to our haste, and do not submit and leave these to the times of his wisdom and faithfulness.

[Use 2] Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant, and a well-ordered Covenant? then let no man ever think to enjoy God, or any good from God's Covenant, but in that way which God himself hath declared; you must believe and repent, &c.

[Use 3] Is the Covenant an ordered Covenant? then doubt not of the enjoyment of mercy and blessedness, you who are his people; but come with confidence unto your God, who hath ordered love, and mercy, and peace, and comfort, and blessings, and happiness for you.

SECT. VI.

6. A Sixth property of this Covenant, is this, it is a holy Covenant, Luke 1. 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant. Dan. 11. 28. His heart shall be against the holy Covenant. Psal. 105. 42. He remembered his holy promise, &c. The Covenant is styled holy in sundry respects.

1. In respect of the parties interested in the Covenant; viz. God and his people, both of them are holy; God is holy, he is an holy God, Josh. 24. 19. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. Rom. 4. 8. His people are holy; that thou mayst be an holy people to the Lord thy God. Deut. 26. 19. The people of thy holiness. Isaiah 63. 18. The holy people. Dan. 12. 7. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. 1. Cor. 1. 2. A holy Nation, a peculiar people, 1 Pet. 2. 9. The Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are. 1 Cor. 3. 17. Although before we are brought into the Covenant, we are a wicked and unholy, defiled and polluted people; yet when we are brought into the Covenant, then we are made holy, we are changed and washed, and sanctified, and are made partakers of his holiness.

2. In respect of the condition of the Covenant; faith (as you shall hear shortly) is the condition of this Covenant, and true faith is a holy faith; building up yourselves in your most holy faith, Jude ver. 20. Purifying their hearts by faith, Acts 15. 9. Which are sanctified by faith, Acts 26. 18. Faith unites us to the holy Christ, and to the holy God, and draws holiness from Christ, and sets up that holy Christ in our hearts.

3. In respect of the matter promised in the Covenant; holiness is one principal thing promised in it. God doth promise to give his holy Spirit, Luke 11. 13. and to cleanse us from all iniquity, Jer. 33. 8. and from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1. 9. and to refine us with refining fire, Mal. 3. 2. Jerusalem shall be holy, Joel. 3. 17. and to sanctify us and purify us; I am the Lord who sanctifies you, Lev. 20. 8. The God of peace sanctify you wholly, 1 Thes. 5. 23. I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth, John 17. 19. By the which will we are sanctified, Heb. 10. 10. The change of a sinful heart, the giving of a new heart, and a new spirit; the taking away the heart of stone, and the giving of an heart of flesh; the work of regeneration, and of renovation, these are expressly the matter in the Covenant.

4. The Author of this Covenant doth expressly command holiness; Be ye holy, for I am holy, 1 Pet. 1. 16. Speak unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy, Lev. 19. 2. Whatsoever things are pious, whatsoever things are lovely, &c. think on these things, Phil. 4. 8. This is the will of God, even your sanctification, 1 Thes. 4. 3. Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1.

5. This Covenant doth exceedingly encourage holiness; Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Psal. 119. 1. Being now become the servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, Rom. 6. 22. God is glorious in holiness, Exod. 15. 11. The Saints are the excellent on the earth, Psal. 16. 3. Gather my Saints together unto me, those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice, Psal. 50. 5. This honor have all his Saints, Psal. 149. 9. He will keep the feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 2. 9. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints, Psal, 37. 28. He preserveth the souls of his Saints, Psal. 97. 10. He delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked, ibid. The Saints shall judge the world, 1 Cor. 6. 8. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, 2 Thes. 1. 10.

6. All about the Covenant respects holiness, and makes for holiness; all that work of renovation promised in the Covenant, all that deliverance promised in the Covenant, is, that now we should serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness; all the mercies promised lead to holiness, to the love of God, to the fear of God, to repentance; all the glory and happiness there promised, take in holiness as a way thereunto; the Christ there is made unto us sanctification as well as redemption; the Spirit of Christ is there to sanctify, and there to comfort and seal us; the two broad seals of the Covenant have holiness written in them; baptism is a Laver of regeneration, and the Lord's Supper seals a further communion with Christ in his graces, in his life, and in his death, in his death, and in his resurrection; what shall I say? every Covenant Ordinance is instituted either for the begetting, or for the increasing and perfecting of holiness. Nay, let me add one thing more, every dealing of God with his people in Covenant, it is to further holiness; his dealing in the way of promises, is that by them that we might be made partakers of the divine nature. 2 Pet. 1. 4. His dealing with them in his calling of them to Christ, is that they might be new creatures, 2 Cor. 5. 17. His dealing with them by his Spirit, is that they might be born again, John 3. 3. His dealing with them by afflictions, is that their sins might be purged away, Isa. 27. 9. and that they may be partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12. 10.

7. The Covenant is very strict against all unholiness, against external unholiness in Conversation, and against internal unholiness in affection or heart; 2 Cor. 6. 17. Be ye separate and touch no unclean thing. Jude ver. 23. Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 1 Thes. 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Rom. 8. 9. Abhor that which is evil. Psal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. Titus 3. 11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men; ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts; we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Quest. Now if you should demand why God makes a Covenant which is thus holy?

Sol. I answer: first, because his Covenant must be suitable to his own nature, the which it were not, if it were not holy. His nature is holiness itself, and he will never set up a Covenant to make us unlike himself.

2. He sets up a Covenant to show and communicate his love unto us, and therefore it must be a holy Covenant, to purge away our sinfulness, which he is of purer eyes than to behold, and which his soul hates.

3. He makes a Covenant with us, that he and we might have a communion together; that we might have fellowship with the Father, and the Son; but what communion can there be 'twixt light and darkness?

4. He makes this Covenant, to restore us again, and to repair his own image in us, and to conform us unto himself; but our conforming unto him, is by the transforming of our minds, by changing us into his own image, from glory to glory, by making us holy as he is holy.

5. It would be infinite dishonor to God if his Covenant were not a holy Covenant, it would not be worthy of him. God intended in making this Covenant to magnify himself in praise and glory; but he should lose all praise and glory, if he had made a Covenant which were not holy, ot which would dispense with holiness; unholiness being the only dishonor to God, and the pulling down of his glory; God in this Covenant promiseth riches of mercy and grace, and glory to his people; but how absurd and dishonorable were it thus to do, if his people should continue a vile and profane, and sinful, and sensual people? if there were no difference 'twixt the precious and the vile.

6. He makes a Covenant and brings people into it, that so they may be made meet to be partakers of the glory that is prepared and shall be revealed; unless the Covenant were holy, and did work holiness, we could never be fitted and prepared, nor made meet for a glorious enjoyment of God, and communion with him; seeing that everyone who hath that hope purifieth himself as he is pure, 1 John 3. 3. And without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12. 14. And except a man he born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, John 3. 3.

[Use. 1] If the Covenant be a holy Covenant, then no unholy person hath as yet an interest in the Covenant. You are pleased in the having of all that mercy, and of all that goodness, and of all that graciousness, of all that happiness in this Covenant: O but you have no portion in God, nor in any of these, if you be unholy persons; for all unholy persons are out of this holy Covenant: I do not say that an unholy person is simply excluded from hopes of being brought into the Covenant; but this I say, if a person still remain unholy, he is still out of the Covenant, because all actually in Covenant with God are made holy, they have a new heart given unto them: There are two things show persons are not in Covenant.

• 1. Privative unholiness.
• 2. Counterfeit holiness.

1. Visible unholiness shuts men out of this Covenant.

Now there are seven things which do show that a man is (as yet) absolutely unholy.

1. When his heart doth secretly loath the Majesty and presence of holiness; he looks on holiness as his enemy, that would rent off his heart from sinful lusts, which he doth infinitely prize and favor.

2. When he loathes the generation of the Saints; utterly declines their fellowship, and can by no means agree with persons of holiness, even upon this account only, because they are so, but opposeth, disgraceth, reproacheth them, and is glad if he can make them odious.

3. Who can reproach the beauties of holiness, and offer despite to the Spirit of grace, making holiness the peculiar object of his scoffs and mocks, and derision, these are the Saints, the holy ones, &c.

4. Who will rather venture the loss of God's favor and mercy, and the promises of salvation, than that he will forsake his sinful lus • s and unholy ways; hates to be instructed and reproved, and reformed.

5. Who therefore opposeth and would subvert and supplant all the Ordinances of Christ, because they press and urge holiness, and because they discover and reprove unholiness, and will not suffer him to go on quietly and desperately in paths of profaneness and ungodliness; resists the Holy Spirit in his motions.

6. Who counts it a disgrace for him to be holy, or to be esteemed so.

7. Who lives in open profaneness, Sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, perjury, lying, &c.

2. Nay, not only visible and open profaneness discovers men to be out of the holy Covenant, but also formal and pretended, and counterfeit holiness; for the Covenant is really holy, and all persons in the Covenant are really holy, and the Covenant promiseth and worketh in them not a seeming, not a counterfeit, but a real and solid holiness.

Now there are six signs of a man who hath not real holiness, but only a counterfeit holiness.

1. Though he be taken up with the performance of some holy duties, yet his heart was never thoroughly humbled for his former unholy •• doings: His unholiness either in the long want of holiness, or in the long opposition of holiness, or in the long practices of unholiness, never was a burden to his soul, nor lay heavy, never wrought trouble nor shame in him.

2. Though in his outward profession he seem to be holy, yet there is no renewing work of grace upon his heart, his heart is not renewed nor changed, but hath the same old lusts still, and the same old love unto them, and delight in them. There is no difference 'twixt himself and himself, no war at all, but all is at peace within him, which shows that he never had holiness in truth; true holiness will displace the affections, and change your souls, and make a separation and an opposition, &c.

3. Though the man seems to be holy, yet he will not be more holy; he hath got into his circle from whence you shall not stir him; he hath put on his form of holiness which his wise forefathers left him, and who so is short of that, he counts him naught; and who so exceeds that, he counts him precise and vain-glorious; that man was never holy, who strives not to be more holy.

4. Though the man seems to be holy, yet he doth not cordially delight in holy persons; his companions if they be not profane, yet they are vain and empty, fruitless and helpless to his soul: If a person be godly and holy indeed, then to except against this, and find fault with that in him, shows his ungodliness is unpleasing to him, and he is as weary of him, as the Israelites were of Manna.

5. Though he seems to be holy, yet he allows himself in some way of wickedness, inpride or covetousness, or in uncleanness, or some other sinful way, he holds it fast, and will not forsake it.

6. Who cannot sit quietly under a soul-searching Ministry which strikes at superstition and formality, and hypocrisy; but would raise his heart to higher principles, and better affections, and a more spiritual way of serving God, than a mere opus operatum.

O now this persons soul is stung; and have I not all this while known how to serve God? and must I now learn a new way to heaven?

Well, think of these things both sorts of you, for neither the one nor the other are interested in this Covenant of grace, which is an holy Covenant, but you are yet an unholy people.

[Use 2] Is the Covenant a holy Covenant? then behold the parting way, behold the reason why so few men are persuaded to hearken, and to enter into Covenant with God; we stand wondering what the reason is or may be, that a company of sinners hearing of that infinite happiness to be enjoyed in the Covenant of grace, and hearing of the manifold blessings comprised in it, of the joy unspeakable therein, of the peace that passeth all understanding, of the full forgiveness of sins, and of the sweet manifestations of the love of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Spirit, and of the assurings of eternal salvation unto all the persons who enter into this Covenant; I say, we wonder that after all this, there are so few who inquire the way, or embrace the way of entering into such a Covenant where God makes over himself in such a gracious and glorious manner to his people; but here lies the stick, here lies the bar, here lies the great exception against the Covenant; viz. it is an holy Covenant.

Demand of persons, and if it were fit of every person here this day.

Would you not be the people of God's love? would you have God to love your souls? yes, we would; and would you not be the people of God's mercies? would you not have God mercifully to pardon all your sins, and all your transgressions? O by all means; and would you not be the people of God's blessings? would you not have God to give you his love freely, and his mercy freely, and his Christ freely, and salvation freely? that we would:

What is that which hinders then? why, verily nothing but this holiness; O but God will give this holiness as freely as he gives his mercy, but we care not for it; O but God will give you riches of mercy with it, but we care not for it; O but it is the means to bring you to glory, but we care not for it; O but God himself is a holy God, and his people must be holy as he is holy, yet we care not for it; O but you shall never have God to be your God, nor mercy to be your mercy, nor Christ to be your Savior, nor heaven to be your inheritance, unless you are willing to be holy but we will not be holy.

Quest. It is a very considerable question, why of all the terms that God stands for, (in respect of the Covenant) this of holiness is disliked? and of all the good things which God doth promise in his Covenant, this of holiness only is excepted against; and of all the Attributes wherein God manifests himself to men, though they seem content and willing to imitate God in many of them, (as in love and mercy, and goodness, &c. yet they are so averse to the holiness of God, which (if it be lawful to make comparison) is one of the highest glories of God.

Sol. Surely there are choice reasons to be given for this peculiar opposition and exception against holiness.

1. One reason may be this, the nature of the sinner; he loves sin, his heart is set upon it, he serves it, he is married unto it, he delights in it; now such a nature is an enmity against holiness, it stands in a peculiar opposition and contrariety unto it; it is not subject to the Law of God, nor can be subject, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8. 7. so say I, it is enmity against the holiness of God, it is not subject unto it, nor indeed can be.

2. Another reason may be this, The nature of holiness; holiness is that work of God which utterly subverts the state of sin, breaks down all the powers of it, crucifies the body of it, separates 'twixt the heart and sin, changes the heart of the sinner, turns the love of sin into the hatred of sin, and the delights in sin, into sorrow for sin; makes us new creatures, will not suffer the sinner to enjoy his old lusts, and his old ways, brings a new frame of Spirit, and a new course of life; it is absolutely contrary, and it is utterly destructive of the sinful condition, and straitly binds the whole man to the whole will of God; and all these things are grievous unto a natural man.

3. A third reason of it may be this, The obloquy and scorns, and reproaches, and persecutions of the world against holiness; the men of the world draw their arrows, and spit all their venom against holiness, they hate it, and deride it, and opose it, and discounterance and defame it, and load it with all sorts of defamation; and car • all men love the world, and fear the world; they love the praise of the world, and the peace of the world, and the ease of the world, and the favor and opinion of the world; men must suffer reproaches and persecutions, and troubles, if they will be holy; but they cannot suffer in their names, nor in their delights, nor in their profits, nor in their friendship, and therefore they will not be holy: I say no more to you but this, if you will not be holy, then you profess you will not be the people of God, and that you will not have God to be God, and he will not be your God, nor shall you be his people, and hence it follows that he will never show mercy to you, nor peace to you, nor his salvation to you; get thee a portion wherein thou canst, but in him, but in his mercy, but in his Christ, but in his glory, thou shalt never have part nor portion.

[Use 3] Is the Covenant of God an holy Covenant? here then is lively comfort for all holy persons; let men judge of you as they please, and deal with you as they list, and oppose you as they do, yet this is your comfort, God is your God, and you are his people.

Beloved! never dispute it, nor fear it, if you be an holy people, God is your God in Covenant; for, 1. Holiness is in none but such as are in Covenant; 2. All in Covenant have holiness wrought in them; holiness is a Covenant gift, it drops only out of the Covenant of grace, and everyone in Covenant resembles that God with whom he is in Covenant; he is holy, as his heavenly Father is holy; And let me tell you, if you have a share in the holiness of the Covenant, you shall have a share also in the happiness of the Covenant; if the holy God be your God, then the merciful God is your God, and the loving God is your God, and the blessing God is your God, and the blessed God is your God, and the everlasting God is your everlasting God: Nay, let me settle this comfort yet closer upon your hearts, though as yet you want much in the degrees and measure of ho • inesse, yet if there be holiness in truth wrought in you, be it never so little, yet if it be true holiness, it is a true character that God is your God, and that you are his people in Covenant.

Quest. That is the thing which we so much fear, how may it be known! when there is yet so much rubbish of sinful corruption dwelling in us?

Sol. For answer to this, remember that there are six things which do show that your holiness is true holiness, though it may be but weak and little.

1. True holiness (though never so weak) it fetches off the heart from all sin, and sets the heart against all sin, it works in compliance with all sin; it takes off the heart from the love of every sin, and raises in the heart an opposition and conflict with every sin, though as yet it cannot expel all sin, yet it will oppose all sin; though as yet it cannot conquer all sin, yet it will conflict with all sin; the least degree of light opposeth all degrees of darkness; as the least spark of fire is contrary to a Sea of water.

2. True holiness, though it can do but little, yet it is an universal conformity to all the Will of God. There is an answerableness 'twixt the whole Will of God, and the least and weakest true holiness; it approves all the holy and good Will of God, it sets up all the Will of God, it delights in all the Will of God, it strives to come up in all well-pleasing in all things to all the Will of God.

3. True holiness is perfecting holiness; though it be not perfect holiness, yet it is perfecting holiness; it prays, and hears, and looks up to the holy God to sanctify us wholly, to pour out his holy Spirit, to make all grace to abound; it sets up the holiness of God as a pattern, and strives for a fullness of holiness; to be holy as he is holy, 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16. To purify ourselves as he is pure, 1 Joh. 3. 3.

4. True holiness makes us to prize and love holiness wheresoever we find it.; and the more holy, the more love; to love an holy God, an holy Christ, the holy Ghost, the holy Scriptures, the holy Sabbath, and all holy duties, all holy persons, be they rich, or be they poor; be they useful to us, or be they strangers to us; holiness loves all holiness.

5. True holiness is another nature, a divine nature; and makes the greatest change, and alteration in the soul, that it is capable of; It changes a man's heart, and life, service, will, affections, and all. The man is a new creature, and is changed into the Image of Christ, 2 Cor. 3. 18.

6. True holiness is exceeding powerful: there is a mighty power in it; A man never is able to come up to the Will of God, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? to deny himself, to hate every sin, to love all good, to delight in the Lord, to walk with God, till he find working in him the power of holiness.

[Use 4] Is the Covenant of grace an holy Covenant? then strive to be holy persons; bewail your former unholiness, and want of holiness, and oppositions, and contempts, and reproaches of holiness; and as you desire to en • oy G • d for your God, and the mercies, and comforts, and hopes, and happiness of the Covenant, so desire to be holy. If holiness be one of the great ingredients, if it be the lively testimony of the people in Covenant with God, if it be the express Will and Command of God for all in Covenant with him, if it be the excellency of your natures, if it be the necessary and certain way of happiness; then be not ashamed, be not averse to holiness anymore, &c.

Quest. And what is to be done, that we may be holy?

Sol. I will tell you what is to be done.

1. Beseech the holy God to make you holy; holiness is attributed to God. 1. Essentially; he is holiness itself. 2. Infinitely; there are no bounds of his holiness. And 3. Causally; and therefore Christ prayed for his Disciples to his Father, John 17. 17. Sanctify them, &c. And the Apostle for the Thessalon • ans, 1 Thes. 5. 23. The God of peace sanctify you. And God hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11. 13. And he hath sanctified those that were very unholy. 1 Cor. 6. 11, 12. Such were some of you, but you are washed, but you are sanctified. And besides all this, this prayer is well-pleasing to God, Lord, make me holy, I would not grieve and dishonor thee anymore, I would not be vile.

2. Attend the holy Word, and wait upon God therein to work holiness in you. John 15. 3. Ye are clean through the Word which I spake unto you John 17. 17. Sanctify them through thy Word, thy Word is truth. The Word is compared to cleansing water; to Fullers sope which whitens; to refining fire which separates the dross, and purifies the metal; the hearts of sinners are changed by it; so was Paul's; and so those Jews in Acts 2. & 3. & 4.

3. Get Faith to unite you to Christ, who is made Sanctification to us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17.

4. Make use of the promises, as 2 Cor. 7. 1.

SECT. VII.

A seventh property of this Covenant, is this, It is a sure and steadfast Covenant. Deut. 7. 9. The Lord thy God he is God, the faithful God which keepeth Covenant with them that love him. 2 Chron. 6. 14. O Lord God which keepest Covenant. 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure. Psa. 19. 7. The testimony of the Lord is sure. Psal. 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure.

That is called sure,

1. Which is not a lie, but a truth; In this respect the Covenant is a sure Covenant. It is no lie, Psal. 89. 35. I will not lie unto David, Hab. 2. 7. At the end the vision shall speak and not lie, Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began: It is a truth, Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt perform the truth unto Jacob. Psalm 132. 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth. Psalm 91. 4. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

2. Which will not fail, but will certainly come to pass; it will be accomplished, it will answer hope, and expectation every way. In this respect also the Covenant is sure. Psal. 89. 33. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail. Hab. 2. 3. It will surely come; though it tarry, wait for it. Jer. 32. 41. I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this Land assuredly. Verse 42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 1 Kings 8. 56. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.

3. Which alters not: In this respect also is the Covenant sure. Psal. 89. 28. My Covenant shall stand fast with him. Verse 34. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Isa. 54. 10. The mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down; but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee. 2 Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

There are two things unto which I would briefly speak concerning this property of the Covenant, namely the sureness or certainty of it.

1. Quest. How it may be demonstrated, That the Covenant of grace is a sure Covenant.

Sol. There are six things to demonstrate or clear it. Viz.

1. This Covenant depends upon the counsel of God, and the purpose of God, and love of God, immutable and sure grounds; these are (as it were) the springs and the foundations of the Covenant of grace, viz. God's love unto us, his counsel wisely and deliberately contriving for us, and his purpose resolving and intending everlasting good unto us.

Now everyone of these is sure and certain; The love of God is unchangeable; wh • m he loves once, he loves forever; I have loved thee with an everlasting love, Jer. 31. 3.

The counsel of God is immutable, wherein (speaking of this Covenant, Heb. 6. 17.) God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel (confirmed it by an oath.)

The purpose of God is sure. So the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure; that foundation of God is his election, which is compared to a foundation, because it is that upon which all our good and happiness is built, and because as a foundation it abides firm and sure.

2. This Covenant hath as firm and sure Ingredients as can be desired.

There is in it,

1. The presence of what is necessary to the certain performance of the Covenant. There are two things necessary thereunto. 1. The power of God. 2. The Will of God; if God be able, and if God will perform his Covenant, it is then sure. Now let us consider both these in reference to the Covenant.

1. The power of God; power is necessary to give a being unto all undertakings; If a poor man promiseth much, yet there is no certainty of it, because though he be very willing, yet he is very unable; the engagement exceeds his stock of ability. But God is able to perform all the good promised to his people in the Covenant. Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform.

For the clear understanding of this, remember four particulars.

1. There is not any one promise of God, but hath the power of God accompanying it, and engaged for it; whether for temporal things, see an excellent place for this, Numb. 11. 18. The Lord will give you flesh and you shall eat. Ver. 19. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor ten, nor twenty, but a whole month. Verse 20. And Moses said verse 21. The people are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh for a whole month; Shall (ver. 22.) the flocks and herds be slain for them to suffice them? or shall the fish of the sea be gathered together for them? as if he had said, But art thou able to make this promise good? the Lord said unto Moses, verse 23. Is the Lord's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not; he did make it good. Or whether the promise be for spiritual things, there is the power of God accompanying it, Micah 7. 18. Who is a strong God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity. He is able to pardon all our sins, and able to change our hearts, and to subdue our iniquities, and to write his Law in our hearts, and to make all grace to abound, and to keep us from falling, and to preserve us to his heavenly glory; We are kept by the power of God.

2. This power is a supreme and over-topping power; it is an exceeding power; a power that cannot be hindered; If he will bless, who can curse? If he be with us, who can be against us?

No creature can raise up and stay it; it is such a power as bears down all before it. All that Pharaoh could do, could not make or hinder the power of God from delivering his people according to his promise; nor all the Kings could hinder their possessing of promised Canaan.

3. This power is independent; it takes not in any assistance to help it, but is alone