with him. Now Jefus Chrift, as mediator, prefented himself to God a facrifice, to fatisfy for the fins of men. And this facrifice was of a fweet-fmelling favour to God, infinitely well pleafing to Him, Eph. v. 2. By this facrifice God was pacified and appeafed, fo that he could again receive man into his favour, and establish a new covenant with him. It is then through this great peace maker, and mediator of reconciliation, Jefus Chrift, that God enters into a covenant of peace with men. By him alone it is, that God is reconciled to men, and fo way made for his gracious covenanting with them to be a God to them, and that they fhall be a peculiar people unto him.

2. Tis through the merit and interceffion of this mediator, that God communicates all covenant bleffings to men.— All the faving mercies contained in the covenant, have been purchased by Jefus Chrift the mediator, for the covenant people of God. 'Tis he that has merited thofe favours for them, by his most holy life and death here on earth, Heb. ix. 12. having obtained eternal redemption for them, all the bleffings comprised in an eternal redemption. And as he purchased these bleffings for them on earth, fo he intercedes with God in heaven, for the bestowment of these bleffings on them. There he ever lives to make interceffion for them, Heb. vii. 25. He is continually prefenting the vertue of his facrifice to God, and requefting the grant of the bleffings thereby purchased for them. Now, on the account of this merit and interceffion of Jefus Chrift it is, that God confers on us all the promised mercies in the covenant of grace. For the fake hereof it is, that God gives pardon, peace, grace and glory, and every good thing, unto the finful children of men. Were it not for this mediator, God would not caft the leaft look of favour towards us, or confer the leaft bleffing upon us.

To conclude then, let our truft be in God, through the mediator Jefus Chrift, for all the good things, contained in the exceeding great and precious promifes of the covenant of grace. Through him, and for his fake alone,

God

And therefore for

God difpenfes thefe bleffings to us. his fake alone, we must ask them of God, and expect them from God. Let all our reliance then be, on the rich grace of God, and the merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift, for all the bleffings of goodness. Let the mediator of the covenant, be the only foundation of our hope in God for every bleffing. In his name let us feek them and wait for them, and we fhall obtain them; as Chrift himself has affured us, Job. xvi. 23. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name be will give it to you. Thus for the firft enquiry.

Queft. 2. Why does God treat with men in the way of a covenant.

Anfw. 1. To fhew forth the riches of bis glorious grace. God was under no neceffity of covenanting with man. God might have dealt with man, before and after the fall, in a way of abfolute fupremacy, demanding what duty he pleased of man, without laying himself under obligation in any respect unto man. God is no ways indebted to any of his creatures, but abfolutely free and unobliged. It is therefore of his own meer grace, that he brings himfelf under the bond of a covenant with them. Nothing but his own pure grace, could move him, to lay himself under obligations to miferable finners, as men are. And the glory of his grace does herein moft wonderfully appear. It is awfully and affectingly ftrange, that the great God fhould condefcend, to be obliged by covenant unto his creatures, especially his fallen creatures. These fede

ral tranfactions between the eternal God of glory, and finful duft and afhes, are fome of the unfathomable depths of grace, wherein God is to be eternally admired, as we may further fee hereafter.

Anfw. 2. To encourage men unto chearful obedience. Had God given forth his commands to men in a way of abfolute dominion and fovereignty, not binding himself to bestow any reward upon them, it would have been their duty to obey Him. His power over them, and right to rule them, obliges them to obedience. And the

infinite

infinite excellency of God, makes him moft worthy, of the highest respect and homage, from men. These confiderations alone were fufficient arguments and motives to obedience, though God should do no more for us, than uphold us in our beings and operations. But God is pleafed, befides thefe things, to engage himself by covenant, to bestow upon us a reward exceedingly and eternally great and glorious. This way of dealing with us, exceedingly tends to the endearing his fervice to us. The riches of his goodness herein manifefted to us, ferves to invigorate and inlarge our hearts in the work of God. The infinite and eternal recompence, which God binds himself to bestow upon us at the end of our lives, is as oyl to the wheels of our obedience, which makes them run smoothly and fwiftly in the ways of God's commandments. It is a strong and powerful inducement to be ftedfaft, and immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, when we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; but fhall be abundantly rewarded in the day of his glorious appearing. (1 Cor. xv. ult.) What a fweet obligation is it upon us to be a free and willing people unto God, when we are affured that in the end of a few days, he will be our God for ever and ever? O let us think of this, and delight to do the will of the Lord.` Thus for the first Propofition.

PROP. 2. This covenant of grace, which God makes with men, is an everlasting covenant. So it is frequently called in the scriptures. Thus fays David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and fure. Jer. xxxii. 40. I will make an everlafting covenant with them. Heb. xiii. 20. The blood of the everlasting covenant. And fo in other places.

The first covenant, through the default of man, was not everlasting. But this covenant of grace will be everlasting. It fhall endure and stand for ever; and that both on the part of God, and on the part of man.

. I. It

1. It is everlafting on God's part. He will for ever be the God of his new covenant people. He will not, he cannot, break covenant with his people. There is not the leaft danger of its being overthrown and made void by him. For,

(1.) He is a moft faithful God. God is a God of truth, and without iniquity. He is not a man that he fhould lie, nor the fon of man, that he fhould repent. He is one of unchangeable faithfulnefs; and therefore will make good his part in the covenant. Pfal. lxxxix. 33. 34. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from bim, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. God's covenant-faithfulness, is more firm than the mountains or hills. Ifai. liv. 10. For the mountains fhall depart; and the bills be removed, but my kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that bath mercy on thee.

(2.) God has ratified his covenant with his facred oath. He contents not himself with giving his bare word of promife, but alfo binds himself to us by his moft folemn oath. Thus God fware to Abraham, and thereby confirmed the covenant he made with him. The oath itself we read of in Gen. xxii. 15, 16, 17. And the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven the fecond time, and faid, By my felf have I fworn, faith the Lord,-that in bleffing I will bless thee,—and in thy feed fhall all the nations of the earth be bleffed. This oath of God annexed to his covenant-promise to Abraham, was for the confirmation of the covenant. So the apoftle declares, Heb. vi. 13, 17. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could fwear by no greater, be fware by himself. -Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the beirs of the promife the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath. Thus God alfo fware unto David, and thereby made fure his covenant with him. Pfal. xxxix. 34, 35. My covenant will I not break, nor alter

the

the thing which is gone out of my lips. Once have I fworn by my bolinefs, that I will not lye unto David. God's oath, fhews the impoffibility of his going back from what he has, by promife, engaged in his covenant. God can no more violate the covenant on his part, than he can forfwear himself. The perpetuity and ftability of the covenant with refpect to God, is moft fure and certain. Which is the first thing.

2. The covenant is everlafting alfo on man's part. As God will not break covenant with men, fo neither fhall they break covenant with him and when both parties. are stedfaft in the covenant, it must be everlasting. Indeed, all the hazard of making void the covenant of grace, is on the part of men. But it shall not by them be made void. All that are really entred into covenant with God, that have heartily avouched him for their God and given themselves to him as his people, shall never prove falfe in the covenant of God, and fo difanul it. For,

(1.) God has promifed to keep them from difcovenanting fins. Many fins they will be guilty of; for they are fallen creatures, that have a principle of fin in them. And while it is fo, they abide under an unhappy neceffity of finning. So that let them be ever fo watchful over themselves, they will be overtaken with many fins of infirmity. They will be fubject to many flips and failings. Now, as for fuch fins as thefe, God has graciously laid in a promise of pardon, in the covenant of grace. Heb. viii. 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteoufness, and their fins and iniquities will I remember no more. He has also in this cafe provided for them an advocate with himself. 1 Job. ii. 2. If any man fin, we bave an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiation for our fins. Through his ad. cacy, and his propitiation therein pleaded for them, their fins fhall not be charged unto them, but forgiven.

And as for difcovenanting fins, God has graciously promised to preferve them from fuch fins. God will