of the persons interested in it from all eternity; God hath his place, and Christ his place, and faith its place, and the sinner his place.

3. It is well ordered in respect of the method of the articles, in their several workings. First, God begins, then we come on; First, God on his part gives grace and glory, and then, we on our parts, act faith and obedience: God hath ever the first work; as, First "I will be your God, and then, ye shall be my people;" First, "I will take away the stony heart, and give you an heart of flesh," and then," ye shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities, and for your abominations;" First, "I will sprinkle water upon you," and then "ye shall be clean from all your filthiness;" First, "I will put my Spirit into you, and cause you to walk in my statutes," and then, "ye shall keep my judgments and do them;" First, I will pour out my Spirit of grace and supplication upon you, and then "Ye shall mourn as a man mourneth for his only son," Jer. 31:33. Ezek. 36:25,26,27.31. Zech. 12:10. First, I will do all, and then you shall do something: A perplexed, troubled spirit is apt to cry out, "O! alas! I can do nothing; I can as well dissolve a rock, as make my heart of stone a heart of flesh!" Mark now, how the covenant stands well ordered, like an army; I will do all, saith God, and then thou shall do something, I will strengthen and quicken you, and then you shall serve me, saith the Lord.

4. It is well ordered, in respect of the end and aim, to which all the parts of the covenant are referred; the end of the covenant is the "praise of the glory of his grace," Eph. 1:6. The parts of the covenant are the promise and stipulation. The promise is either principal or immediate, and that is God, and Christ; or secondary and consequential, and that is pardon, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, glorification: the stipulation on our parts, are faith and obedience, we must believe in him that justifies the ungodly, and walk before him in all well-pleasing. Observe now the main design and aim of the covenant, and see but how all the streams run towards that ocean; God gives himself" to the praise of the glory of his grace;" God gives Christ" to the praise of the glory of his grace:" God gives pardon, justification, sanctification, salvation, "to the praise of the glory of his grace," and we believe, we obey "to the praise of the glory of his grace;" and good reason, for all is of grace, and therefore all must tend to the praise of the glory of his grace;" it is of grace that God hath given himself, Christ, pardon, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, salvation to any soul; it is of grace that we believe; "By grace ye are saved through faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God," Eph. 2:8. O the sweet and comely order of this covenant! all is of grace, and all tends to the praise of the glory of his grace," and therefore it is called "a covenant of grace;" many a sweet soul is forced to cry, I cannot believe, I may as well reach heaven with a finger, as lay hold on Christ by the hand of faith; but mark how the covenant stands like a well marshalled army to repel this doubt; if thou canst not believe, God will enable thee to believe," to you it is given to believe," Phil. 1:29. O the covenant of grace is a gracious covenant: God will not only promise good things, but he helps us by his Spirit to perform the condition, he works our hearts to believe in God, and to believe in Christ; all is of grace, that all may tend" to the praise of the glory of his grace."

5. Wherein is the covenant sure? I answer it is sure in the performance and accomplishment of it. Hence the promises of the covenant are call. ed "the sure mercies of David," Isa. 55:3. Not because they are sure, unto David alone, but because they are sure, and shall be sure unto all the

seed of David that are in covenant with God, as David was; the promises of God's covenant are not "yea and nay," various and uncertain, but they are "yea and Amen," 2 Cor. 1:20. sure to be fulfilled. Hence the sta bility of God's covenant is compared to the firmness and unmoveableness of the mighty mountains; nay, "mountains may depart, and the hills be removed by a miracle," but " my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee," Isa. 54:10. Sooner shall the rocks be removed, the fire cease to burn, the sun be turned into darkness, and the very heavens be confounded with the earth, than the promise of God shall fail. "The testimony of the Lord is sure," saith David, Psal. 19:7. Christ made it, and wrote it with his own blood; to this very end was Christ appointed, and it hath been all his work to insure heaven to his saints. Some question whether it be in God's present power to blot a name out of the book of life. We say, No: his deed was at first free, but now it is necessary, not absolutely, but ex hypothesi; upon supposition of his eternal covenant. Hence it is that the apostle says, "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," 1. John 1:9. It is justice with God to par don the elect's sins as the case now stands: indeed mercy was all that saved us primarily, but now truth saves us, and stands engaged with mercy, for our heaven; and therefore David prays, "send forth mercy and truth, and save me,' "Psal. 57:3. We find it often in the Psalms, as a prayer of David, "Deliver me in thy righteousness," and "Judge me according to thy righteousness," and "Quicken me in thy righteousness," and, "In thy faithfulness answer me," and, "In thy righteousness," Psalm 31:1. and 35:24. and 119:40. and 143:1. Now, if it had not been for the covenant of grace, surely David durst not have said such a word. The cov enant is sure in every respect, "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, (saith God) even the sure mercies of David," Isa. 55:3.

6. Whether is Christ more clearly manifested in this breaking forth of the covenant than in any of the former? The affirmative will appear in that we find in this manifestation these particulars,-

1. That he was God and man in one person; David's son, and fet David's Lord, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Psal. 110:1.

2. That he suffered for us: and in his sufferings how many particulars are discovered? As, First, His cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Psal. 22:1. Secondly, The Jews' taunts, "He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him if he delight in him," Matth. 27:43. Thirdly, The very manner of his death, "They pierced my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me: they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture," Psal. 22:17,18.

3. That, he rose again for us; "Thou wilt not leave my soul in heil, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to sce corruption," Psalm 16:10.

4. That he ascended up into heaven; "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men," Psalm 68:18. Eph. 4:8. Acts 2:31.

5. That he must be king over us, both to rule and govern his elect, and to bridle and subdue his enemies: "I have set my King upon my ho ly hill of Zion: I will declare the decree, the Lord hath said uuto ine, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," Psal. 2:6,7. Acts 13: 33. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I

make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies," Psa. 110:1,2.

6. That he must be a priest, as well as a king; and a sacrifice, as well as a priest; "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek," Psal. 110:4. "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows," Heb. 1:6. Psa. 45:7. i. e. Above all Christians, who are thy fellows, consorts, and partners in the anointing; "Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou wouldst not have, but mine ear hast thou bored; burnt-offering, and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then, said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O God," Psal. 40:6,7. Heb. 10:5,6,7. Mine ears hast thou bored, or digged open; the Septuagint, to make the sense plainer, say, "But a body hast thou fitted to me, or prepared for me," meaning that his body was ordained and fitted to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world, when other legal sacrifices were refused as unprofitable. O see how clearly Christ is revealed in this ex. pressure of the covenant! it was never thus before.

And thus far of the covenant of promise, as it was manifested from David till the captivity.

SECT. VI. Of the Covenant of Promise, as manifested to Israel about the time of the Captivity.

THE great breaking forth of this gracious covenant was to Israel about the time of their captivity. By reason of that captivity of Babylon, Israel was almost clean destroyed; and therefore then it was high time, that the Lord should appear like a sun after a stormy rain, and give them some clearer light of Christ, and of this covenant of grace than ever yet. He doth so, and it appears especially in these words, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, (which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:) but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more," Jer. 31:31,32,33,34. In this expression of the covenant we shall examine these particulars:

1. Why it is called a new covenant?

2. Wherein the expressure of this covenant doth excel the former, which God made with their fathers?

3. How doth God put the law into our inward parts?

4. What is it to have the law written in our hearts?

5. How are we taught of God, so as not to need any other kind of teaching comparatively?

6. What is the universality of this knowledge in, "That all shall know me, saith the Lord?"

sin:

7. How is God said to forgive iniquity, and never more to remember

1. Why is it called new covenant? I answer, It is called new, either in respect of the late and new blessings which God vouchsafed Israel in bringing back their captivity with joy, and planting them in their own land again; or it is called new in respect of the excellency of this covenant: thus the Hebrews were wont to call any thing excellent, new, “O sing unto the Lord a new song," Psal. 96:1. that is, an excellent song; or it is called new, in contradistinction to the covenant of promise before Christ came; in this latter sense the very same words here are repeated in the epistle to the Hebrews, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old; now that which decayeth, and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away," Heb. 8:8.13. The new covenant is usually understood in the latter sense; it is new because diverse from that which God made with their fathers before Christ; it hath a new worship, new adoration, a new form of the church, new witnesses, new tables, new sacraments and ordinances; and these never to be abrogated or disannulled, never to wax old, as the apostle speaks; yet in respect of those new blessings which God bestowed upon Israel immediately after the captivity, this very manifestation may be called new, and in reference to this, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but the Lord liveth which brought up, and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land," Jer. 23:7,8.

2. Wherein doth the expressure of this covenant excel the former, which God made with their fathers? I answer,

1. It excels in the very tenor, or outward administration of the coven. ant: for this covenant after it once began, continued without interruption, until Christ, whereas the former was broken, or did expire. Hence God calls it "a new covenant,-not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord." In this respect it might be called new, or at least it may be called an inchoation of the new, because it continued till Christ, which no other expressure of the covenant did before, and so it excelled all the former.

2. It excels in the spiritual benefits and graces of the Spirit. We find that under this covenant they were more plentifully bestowed upon the church than formerly; mark the promises, "I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up; and I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.-Again, I will shake all nations, and the` desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts: the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts, Hag. 2:7,8,9. And I will put my law in their inward parts, and write in in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith

the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more," Jer. 31:33,34.

3. It excels in the discovery and revelation of the Mediator, in and through whom the covenant was made. In the former expressions we discovered much; yet in none of them was so plainly revealed the time of his coming, the place of his birth, the passage of his nativity, his humiliation and kingdom, as we find them in this.

1. Concerning the time of his coming, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to scal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy," Dan. 9:24.

2. Concerning the place of his birth; "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," Micah 5:2.

3. Concerning his name; "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9:6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23:6. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and thou, O virgin, shalt call his name Emmanuel," Isa. 7:14.

4. Concerning the passages of his nativity, that he should be born of a virgin, Isa. 7:14. That at his birth all the infants round about Bethle hem should be slain, Jer. 31:15. That John the Baptist should be his prodromus, or forerunner, to prepare his way, Mal. 3:1. That he should flee into Egypt, and be recalled thence again, Hosea 11:1. I might add many particulars of this kind.

5. Concerning his humiliation, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes were we healed.-He was oppressed, and he was afflicted: yet he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison, and from judgement, and who shall declare his generation? He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the trangression of my people was he stricken.-It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.-Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors," Isa. 53: 4,5.7.8. One would think this were rather an history than a prophecy of Christ's suffering; you may, if you will take the pains, see the circumstances of his sufferings; as that he was sold for thirty pieces of silver, Zech. 11:12. And that with those thirty pieces of silver there was bought afterwards a potter's field, Zech. 11:13. That he must ride into Jerusalem before his passion on an ass, Zech. 9:9. I might seem tedious if I should proceed.

6. Concerning his kingdom, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding on an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass," Zech. 9:9. Isa. 62:11. Matth. 21:5. Behold a King, be.