kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither hall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. It is true, the elect may be toffed in the ftorms of affliction, and be almoft drowned at times in diftrefs; but their fituation can never alter the covenant.-O thou afflicted, toffed with tempefts, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy ftones with fair colours, and thy foundations with fapphires. This, I think, means all the attributes of Jehovah, which are engaged in behalf of the elect, and who are fecured in this covenant; for it immedately follows In righteoufnefs fhalt thou be established. Ifaiah liv. 9-14. Thus the covenant is figned and witneffed by three immutable and unchangeable witneffes fealed and ratified by divine veracity; and confirmed by the oath of an immutable God, who can never be perjured. Eternal life is promised by him who cannot lie; and confirmed by the efficacious blood of HIM who is without variableness or shadow of turning. James i. 17. Surely then thefe immutable things, in which it is impoffible for God to falfify his word, are fufficient to afford us the most solid ground of comfort; as it is writtenWherein God, willing more abundantly to fhew unto the beirs of promife the immutability of bis counfel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a strong confolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the kope fet before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the foul, both fure and ftedfaft, and which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner bath for us entered; even Jefus, made an high-priest for ever after the order of Melchifedec. Heb. vi. 17—20. Having offered you my thoughts on this divine love from the eternal fource, I fhall now proceed to the fouth pole, which is before us, namely, to everlasting. This is a natural inference drawn from the length of this love mentioned in my text. In doing this I will hereafter touch on the benefits of this covenant, and their being a free donation, as well as of their eternal duration. I know the Arminians affirm that we may be children of God to-day and children of the devil to-morrow but this is rendering God worfe than ourfelves; for I, who am evil, could not deal fo in a natural sense with my children. If what they affirm be true, the length of God's love mentioned in my text, which is faid to pass knowledge, is but four-and-twenty hours long at beft.-But I leave thofe liars, and their lies, to the father of lies, and proceed to speak of what God fays, for we know that he is true, though every man be a liar. Rom. iii. 3. It plainly appears in fcripture that the everlafting God chofe the elect in his Son Chrift Jefus, and that the covenant was fealed by the eternal Spirit in heaven; and it is as plain that everlasting love moved them to it; therefore the covenant is called an everlasting covenant, and we shall find all the bleflings of it to bear the fame date. I will therefore confider them distinctly, and only only take notice of them as I find God hath mentioned them. First, then, as God remembered us in our low eftate, he hath promifed not to forget us; but to remember us for good, and to establish us; as it is written-Surely be fhall not be moved for ever: the righteous fhall be had in everlasting remembrance. Pfalm cxii. 6. Therefore there is no fear of being forgotten before the Lord. And, as all the elect were condemned by the law, the Lord Jefus has brought in an eternal righteousness to juftify them; as it is written-He fhall make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlafting righteousness. Dan. ix. 24. But you will fay, We are dead in law, and dead in fin. I know that we are all in that state; but in this covenant the elect are pre-ordained to eternal life; as it is written-And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Acts xiii. 48. Thus the elect are quickened here, and brought to live by the faith of the Son of God; and their eternal life, which is given us of God, is hid with Christ, as our head, in God; as it is written-I give my Sheep eternal life, and they shall never perih, neither Jhall any pluck them out of my hands. John x. 28. He that believeth on me bath everlasting life. John. vi. 47. There we fee the bleffings of this everlasting covenant bear the fame date as the covenant doth. But to proceed. The Almighty knew how the devil, the god of this this world, would blindfold us in order to lead us to the bottomlefs pit, and that Satan would send many blind guides to lead us on from one dark mountain to another, that we might follow the devil's doctrine, and fo be damned at laft. I fay the Lord knew this, for known unto God are all things; therefore in this covenant he has promifed to be an everlasting light to all his people; as it is written -But the Lord fhall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Ifa. lx. 19. In this covenant God hath provided a righteoufnefs for the elect, though by nature they were ungodly. Rom. iv. 5. This righteoufness was wrought out for the elect by Chrift; as it is written-By the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous. Rom. v. 19. This righteoufnefs God accepted of our furety, he being made of God unto us righteousness. 1 Cor. i. 30. This righteousness God alfo imputes freely without any pre-requifite in us; as it is written-Even as David alfo defcribeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Rom. iv. 6. The Spirit of God brings this righteousness near to us in a preached gospel, and reveals it to the eye of faith; as fpeaketh God by the prophet Ifaiah--I bring near my righteousness; it fhall not be far off. Ifa. xlvi. 13. This righteousness. is revealed in the gofpel for every believer-I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it. is written, The just shall live by faith. Rom. i. 17. Faith puts this righteousness upon the poor finner for his juftification before God, as a righteoufness procured by God.-But now the righteoufnefs of God without the law is manifefted, being witneffed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all and upon all them that believe. Rom. iii. 21, 22. Remember, this righteoufnefs is given freely, therefore wo be to that man that thinks to merit it, or add fomething of his own thereto; which Chrift calls putting a piece of new cloth upon an old garment, that will make the rent worfe. I fay it is given of God, and cannot either be bought or fold; as it is written-They that receive abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jefus Christ. Rom. v. 17. Thus, my dear hearers, Chrift wrought out this righteousness for us; God the Father accepts it of Chrift, and places it to our account, and imputes it freely. The gofpel reveals it, the Holy Ghost applies it to the hand of an appropriating faith, and makes it manifeft to the finner's confcience; conscience enjoys it, and finds peace to be the effect of it. Thus we are juftified freely from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Mofes. Acts xiii. 39. This righteoufnefs too bears the fame ancient date of the covenant; for feventy weeks are deter mined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finifh the tranfgreffion, and to make an end of fins, and to |