ADVERTISEMENT. TO THE READER. THE following discourses were preached by that truly venerable divine in the last century, Dr. John Owen: and in order to be fully satisfied they are genuine, Mrs. Cooke of Stoke-Newington, by this means, informs the reader, that her pious grandfather, Sir John Hartopp, Bart. wrote them in short-hand from the doctor's own mouth, and then took the pains to transcribe them into long-hand; as thinking them worthy of being transmitted down to posterity. It is from his manuscripts, this collection is now made public. SERMON I.* THE EVERLASTING COVENANT, THE BELIEVER'S SUPPORT UNDER DISTRESS. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.—2 Sam. xxiii. 5. BEFORE I open these words, I shall read the whole context, from the first verse unto the end of the seventh. Now these be the last words of David; David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was,' &c. 'Now these be the last words of David;' not absolutely, for you will find, both in the book of Samuel, and also in the book of Chronicles, that David spake many words after these: but these were the last prophetical words of David; or this is the last prophecy of David: and he gives an account in this prophecy of all the faith and experience he had had in the world; and it comprises also the sum and substance of all he had prophesied of; prophesied of as a king, the anointed of the God of Jacob; and prophesied of as a psalmist, as he was the sweet psalmist of Israel.' Now there are three parts of this last prophecy of David : The first of them concerns the subject of all prophecy and promises, that he had preached about and declared, and that is Christ himself, in the third and fourth verses. The second of them concerns himself, as he was a type of Christ, ver. 5. And The third part concerns Satan and the enemies of the church, in opposition unto the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The first part of his prophecy concerns Christ himself; ver. 3, 4. 'The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me; He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.' So we have rendered the words; but if you * This sermon was preached June 27, 1669, |