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praise and glory of God's grace. The Father made the covant for his own glory; redemption by Christ is for the glory of both; and regeneration by the Spirit is to glorify the blessed Trinity; every good thing given and received, all work to this end, that is, to the glory of God. Christ as the Surety as sent by the Father, dying, and triumphing on the cross to make satisfaction and peace, all aim at the same thing. The grace which a sinner receives, and the works which he does by grace, and the things which he hopes for, all tend to the glory of God.

4th. Every thing in season is beautiful. "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time." If any thing is out of time, it is out of order-frost in summer is out of order. If physic comes when the person is dead, this would be disorderly; things are in order, when they are neither too soon, nor too late, but at the time of need. And so are the dispensations of the covenant; they are sent, and come in time of need, when a sensible sinner is ready to give up all for lost, cries "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" all doors shut-that very time Christ appears, mercy and help comes. "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them, and not forsake them. I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee." When the heart of David was overwhelmed, then God comforted him. When the church was like a woman forsaken, then said God, "With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." When Ephraim was ashamed, even confounded, then said God, "My bowels are troubled, I will surely have mercy upon him." When Paul was pressed with temptations above measure, then Christ told him that his grace was sufficient, and that his strength would be made perfect in weakness, and so it is now with the people of God. They receive mercy in the fittest time, deliverance and answers to their prayers in the best time. God is gracious and wise, therefore He knows the best time, and as a faithful God He will lose no time.

5th. This covenant being well ordered, there is a firm foundation for our hope and confidence, that a sensiblbe sinner will be received by God the Father-Christ as a Mediator, mercy in all its abundance, free grace in all its glory, is the foundation of all our hope. Christ says, I will satisfy for his sins, and make peace for him; I will forgive, and abundantly pardon, says the merciful God. I will love Him freely, and receive Him graciously, says the God of love and grace. Here we have Christ, who merited all, and God, who promised to give all, who hath bound Himself by oath, to per

form all for them, and who rejoiceth over his people to do them good, and accounts it his praise and honour, in loving them-good, and still encourages them to call upon Him, to trust in Him, and to receive from Him. Then the children of God must persevere. The covenant is everlasting, ordered in all things and sure. And God has engaged to maintain an everlasting union and communion between Himself and his people, and gave charge to Christ to keep them in his name, and He willingly undertook this charge, and executed it faithfully. He conquered his people's enemies, supplies them with sufficient grace, and as the Lion of Judah guides them through this wilderness safe to glory.

With David's Lord and ours,
A Covenant once was made,
Whose bonds are firm and sure,
Whose glories ne'er shall fade.
Signed by the sacred Three-in One,
In mutual love ere time began.

Firm as the lasting hills,
This covenant shall endure,
Whose potent shalls and wills
Make every blessing sure;
When ruin shakes all nature's frame,
Its jots and tittles stand the same.

Here the vast seas of grace,
Love, peace, and mercy flow,
That all the blood-bought race
Of men or angels know.

O, sacred deep, without a shore,
Who shall thy limits e'er explore?

Here when thy feet shall fall,
Believer, thou shalt see,
Grace to restore thy soul,
And pardon full and free;

Thee with delight shall God behold.
A chosen sheep in Zion's fold.

And when through Jordan's flood,
Thy God shall bid thee go;
His arm shall thee defend,
And vanquish every foe;

And in this covenant thou shalt view,
Sufficient strength to bear thee through.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE PERFECTION OF THE GOSPEL, AND THE RENDING OF THE VAIL.

THE triumph of Christ on the cross as God-man over sin and the sinner, is gloriously exhibited in the rending of the vail of the temple from the top to the bottom-" And behold the vail of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom." It began at the top, which was out of the reach of man. It was to teach us that salvation of sinners by Christ was by Him alone; the creature had no hand in it. He alone trod the winepress, and his own arm brought salvation. He, and He only, is the Saviour of sinners -"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved." Salvation is the gift of God; it cannot be merited by our works. This salvation is brought to a soul when dead in trespasses and in sin; and a sinner dead in sin cannot quicken himself, that is, he cannot impart spiritual life in his own soul. Repentance and briny tears are not available before God, except they flow from a spiritual life; and this is the gift of God" And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." And this is an act of the mercy and love of God; and it doth not depend upon the freewill of man, that "God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved. For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Salvation is a covenant blessing, freely given unto us. The covenant itself is a gift I will give thee my covenant." Christ is a gift" Behold I have given Him for a witness to the people ;" and all the blessings stored up in Him are a gift. What a mercy it is that they are all freely given unto us; fallen creatures could merit none-all is given. The Father gave himself, and He gave Christ" For God so loved the world, that He gave his only-begotten Son." Christ gave himself" Who loved me, and gave himself for me." Love, peace, eternal life, the Spirit of God, a new heart, faith, and repentance, and all things beside are freely given. Isa. xlii. 6; lv. 4; John iii. 16; Gal. ii. 20; Cant. vii. 12; John xiv. 27; x. 28;

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Luke xi. 13; Ezek. xxxvi. 26; Phil. i. 29; Acts xi. 18; 2 Tim. i. 16; Rom. viii. 32; Psa. lxxxiv. 11; 2 Pet. i. 4.

There are two reasons why these inestimable blessings are freely given to us:

1st. The fall has stripped us of all good. Through it we became poor, blind, naked, wretched, and miserable; not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves. "What hast thou that thou hast not received?" In our first creation God made us beautiful vessels, pure and clean, capable of containing all good, knowledge, holiness, and righteousness; in these things consist the divine image of God. But these vessels were made of brittlely stuff, liable to crack; that is, mutable. A creature cannot be immutable -God alone is immutable. God had bestowed to man largely and bountifully, as it becometh the giver. The giver was the great God, and He gave a large stock to Adam, to help himself. He deprived him of nothing except one tree, which was the tree of knowledge; and the reason this tree was prohibited, was to teach him obedience to his Creator. But Satan, through his infernal suggestion, cracked this beautiful vessel, and so all its contents ran out, and left him empty. Thus man became poor and miserable; besides this, he incurred the wrath of God, and became a great debtor to Him. I mean, a debtor of obedience to the holy law of God, and if the debt is not paid, he must suffer the penalty which the Lawgiver denounced against disobedience-" For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." This debt must be paid to the utmost farthing-" Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." This is the reason that God was pleased to give us all things freely. We, like the prodigal, have spent all, and our heavenly Father gives all.

2nd. That God might be glorified in all his gifts, and that the receiver should proclaim his glory. Here are blessed encouragements for poor sinners to go to Him. No room for despair, but a good foundation for hope. When we survey our hearts and conditions, we find a world of wants; but when we survey the grace of God in giving all things freely, we find a heaven of supplies. I know there are many gracious souls that are full of fears, disputing every step they take, and reasoning with themselves how they can obtain these blessings. We have nothing, and can bring nothing; the well is deep, and we have nothing to draw with. It is true, poor sinner, but remember God has promised to give all thingsask, and it shall be given. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him

ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Let us be content to be receivers. There are four things which will qualify us to be receivers. 1st. Poverty of spirit. The poor man useth entreaties—a poor man is a suppliant. It was poor Lazarus who laid at the rich man's door. Except we are made truly sensible of our spiritual wants and miseries, stripped of our righteousness, forced from all our refuges, hunted from all shelters; exposed to the wrath of God, to the curses of a fiery law, feeling our own frailty, the shortness of life, and a solemn eternity before us-not till then will we go to knock at mercy's door, crying, O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner; pardon my sins, for they are great. Give me thy dear and only-begotten Son, who is the altogether lovely, and precious to my soul.

2nd. Humility of soul. A proud man scorns to beg, and scorns to receive. He will not be beholden to any one. It is the humble man who will acknowledge a gift, who will beg for mercy, and will be glad in receiving. God will not despise the humble. He giveth grace to the lowly, and the humble are thankful to receive grace from God.

3rd. A praying soul is glad to receive the least mercy from God. He feels that he is but dust and ashes, and unworthy of any of God's mercies. God has undertaken to give all things to his people, then He will find all good for us. He himself has found a ransom, provided a sacrifice, and accepted it for us. All the gifts

of God are his own. Men oftentimes give that which is not their own; but not so with God. All his gifts are his own; all come from himself. He is an infinite, gracious, and glorious Being. He is all-sufficient; He has heaven and earth in his possession. All good is at his disposal. He is infinite in mercy, grace, and glory. These things He only gives to those whom He loves, and to his friends.

4th. Faith is a receiving grace. Faith beholds such beauty in Christ, that after it hath gazed on Him, it moves towards Him, lays hold of Him, wrestles for a blessing; and when given, it thankfully receives.

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