vation of ruined man. Thefe are the only two covenants which God ever made with man, in which the eternal life of the creature was concerned. Thefe two covenants had always external and visible tokens, figns and feals annexed to them. The former had the tree of life, and the tree of good and evil affixed to it, and the latter, its tokens and figns were various and multiplied until the coming of Chrift. From Adam to Noah, the outward figns were facrifices and offerings; from Noah to Abraham, the fame were continued; in Abraham's day an additional feal was established, in the time of Mofes the paffover and many other figns, tokens and ordinances were inftituted, all which continued until the death of Christ, when they were compleatly abolished by the cross, and in the room of thefe bloody, burthenfome, and expenfive rites, our Lord, just before he compleated the great work of redemp. tion, ordained two fimple feals or ordinances, to wit, baptim and his fupper, which are to be duly obferved in the church till the confummation of all things.

The words of our text were delivered by our Lord as a part of the inftitution of his facred fupper. In the inftitution he particularly ftiles the bread his body, and the cup the NewTeftament in his blood. Both thefe phrafes are figurative, and by no means to be understood in a literal fenfe. For in this fenfe, Chrift must have broken and eaten his own identical body, and poured out and drank his own identical blood, while fitting at the table of his difciples, than which nothing can be more abfurd.

The word which is here tranflated teflament, properly fignifies a covenant, and thus it is frequently rendered in the apoftolic epiftles. It means, as here ufed, the covenant of grace; that covenant which God established in the room of the firft, or covenant of works, that had been violated, and fo became abfolutely infufficient to antwer its original defiga

It is that covenant which God has inftituted and revealed inconfideration of our fallen and unhappy circumftances, where by it is again rendered poffible for guilty finners to be restored to the favour, friendship and enjoyment of their Maker. This covenant of grace and falvation, you may obferve, is founded in and ratified by the blood of Chrift. "The New-Teftament "in my blood." It may also be obferved, that the words of the facrament of the Lord's fupper bear a peculiar respect to the new covenant, and that under the special confideration of its We are to understand being eftablithed in the blood of Jesus. the expreflion, this bloed, as referring both to the covenant of grace, and the blood in which it is laid.

From this explication of the text, 1 fhall endeavour,

First, to explain to you what the covenant of grace and mercy is.

Secondly, how it is founded in the blood of Christ.

Thirdly, confider what respect or relation the Lord's fupper bears to this covenant, as having its origin in and confir mation by this blood.

First, I am to explain what the covenant of grace is.

Let it be observed here, that the term covenant, when it has respect to God as a party, must be understood very differ ent in a variety of important circumflances, from what it is when applied to men. In the latter application, it fuppofes an equality, mutual dependence, and reciprocal advantages to the parties concerned. But when God is faid to make a covenant with his creatures, we cannot poffibly entertain any fuch ideas refpecting him. He must not be reduced to an equality with his creatures, rendered any way dependent upon

them, nor can he derive any benefit from them. Every thing in God, his whole nature and perfections, forbid the thought.

In covenants among men, they bind themselves to the perfor mance of certain conditions, to which generally, neither party were under obligations antecedent to their entering into cove nant; hence they were not obliged to enter into it; both parties were equally free and might refuse to covenant without being chargeable with any criminality or just blame for fuch a refufal. But it is altogether different in the other cafe. It is true, it holds good in regard to God. He was under noobligations to enter into covenant with his finful creatures nor was he obliged to confer any bleffings upon them after their apoftacy, until in free and wonderful grace he laid him-felf under obligation by his own covenant and promife. But with regard to creatures with whom this covenant is made, it does not hold. If God propofe to enter into covenant with his creature, the creature cannot be free to refuse. Such a propofal as coming from its creator and proprietor, must have the force of a command; if he propofe fuch a duty to be performed as the condition of the covenant, it binds equally as a precept; and a non-compliance is nothing lefs than wilful difobedience and avowed rebellion. This is fully evident from the independent nature of God, and from the relation fubfifting between him and his creatures. We ought in all our reprefentations of covenant between God and his creatures, to be careful we do not introduce any ideas inconfiftent with the infinite dignity and abfolute independence of Jehovah. There is perhaps no doctrine of religion in which we are more liable. to err than this.

The covenant of grace is between God and man, thro' Chrift the Mediator of it, and thus it may be defcribed. It is God's conftitution and establishment to fave all finners who repent

and believe in Chrift, or cordially comply with the method of recovery founded in and effected thro' his mediation and freely offered to the acceptance of all in the gospel. As it ftands in the fcriptures, it is only a propofal of falvation on God's part to a finful world, and God obligates himfelf to fecure the fal vation of all fuch as comply with the propofal. It becomes more properly and ftrictly a covenant, when actually confented to by finners, that is, when in truth and fincerity they embrace the gospel and believe in Jefus. It may be observed, that falvation as offered in the gofpel, is to be taken in the moft extenfive fenfe, not as deliverance only from the guilt and dominion of fin, from mifery, hell and ruin, but giving a fure title to heaven and all the felicities thereof, with all those tempers and difpofitions of foul, with all that fanctification and holinefs of heart, neceffary to form it to a capacity for the perfect fruition of the fame. Such a covenant or constitution as this, may be proved from the fcriptures, and the experience of all who believe.

The facred oracles are the proper fountain of authority in this cafe. When we have the word and promife of the great Supreme who is truth itself and cannot deceive, the vilest and most guilty may with confidence venture his foul upon the declaration, and lay hold on the covenant. All thofe paffages of fcripture, wherein God appoints Jefus Chrift, as the important Perfon in whom he is reconciling a guilty world unto himfelf, establish this matter. Hear what the Moft High fayeth by the prophet Ifaiah: "Thus faith the Lord God, he that "created the heavens and ftretched them out, I the Lord "have called thee in righteoufnefs, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the peo ple, for a light of the gentiles; to open the blind eyes to bring out the prifoners from the prifon, and them that fit in “darkness out of the prison houfe." And again in the fame prophesy Christ himself is introduced, faying, "The spirit of

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the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, to "preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath fent me to bind "up the broken hearted, to proc laim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound; to "proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord; and the day of 66 vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to ap"point unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them "beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of "praise for the fpirit of heaviness." What can be inferred from all these declarations but that God has established a covenant to save loft men thro the blood of his Son? That he is well pleased with penitent returning finners for his righteouf nefs fake.

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The exiflence of this covenant of mercy may be argued from the invitations that are given to come to Chrift, and the full affurances of falvation to all who comply with the fame. The moft guilty are invited to lay hold on the covenant." Incline your ear and come unto me, hear and your foul shall live; "and I will make an everlafting covenant with you even the "fure mercies of David." That is, I will confer upon you all the bleffings purchafed by David's fon. And Christ himself most tenderly invites, to come unto him and he will give them reft.

The reality of this covenant may be evinced from all those great and precious promifes made to them who believe in Chrift, "They have everlasting life, they fhall be faved, there "is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jefus, none "fhall be able to pluck them out of his divine hands, &c." but to retail all the evidences of this truth, would be to tranf cribe a confiderable part of the bible.

This covenant is likewife eftablished from the experience of all true believers. There are none who have ever given up