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covenant, Christ is the great performer of all covenantduties; he performs all our works in us, Ifa. xxvi. 12. We are to present no duty of our own to God for acceptance, or in order to obtain life and falvation by it; but to prefent him with Chrift, he being the covenant to perform all for us and in us, which we are obliged to. In a word, he is engaged as the covenant of the people, to be all, and do ali; to procure all, and to fee all made effectual that concerns grace and glory: "I will give him for a covenant of the people," fays the Lord. I will not enter into covenant, or deal with them in an immediate way, as with the first Adam, but I will take a furer courfe, I will give thee for that end; thou fhalt undertake all the matter therein; I will look to thee for the performance thereof. Man hath broken covenant; I will not truft him again; but thou fhalt be the covenant: the promise of life fhall be made only in thee, and the condition of life fhall be found only in thee. Thus he is the covenant.

III. The third thing was, to fhew, For whofe benefit he is a covenant; and fo to fhew that he is the covenant of the people. Men and women have a way of excluding themfelves by unbelief; but I am fure, my text will exclude none this day, that are here, from a right to accept of this covenant, unlefs it be the devil himself. He indeed, and all the fallen angels, are excluded; and no doubt he is come here among us this day, to tempt people to exclude themselves, becau'e he himself is excluded. But here is a foundation of faith for all the people that hear this gofpel; Chrift is the covenant of the people, infomuch that whofoever of all the people will fubfcribe to this covenant, and go in to it by faith, fhall have the everlasting benefit of it.

QUEST. Why, fay you, I am, it may be, none of the people here meant, none of the elect whofe names are in that covenant and contract, and therefore my fubfcribing of it may be in vain. Anfw. For the clearing of this, That Chrift is the covenant of the people, you would know and remember, That there are two copies of this covenants or rather, if we may fo exprefs it, two writs of this

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charter, the one is an original, written in heaven; and the other an extract, written in this Bible. 1. I fay, as to the original, it is written in heaven, and hath all the names of the church invifible inrolled in it. Heb. xi. 23. they are called the church of the firft-born that are written in heaven. In this writing are the names of all the elect, of all that ever were, are, or fhall be actually taken within the bond of the covenant; and thefe are they of whom it is faid, "They are chofen in Chrift before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. And again, "Whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called," Rom. viii. 30. And again, "All that the Father hath given me, fhall come to me;" and, "All that were ordained to eternal life, believed." And of them, Chrift fays, "I lay down my life for my fheep." This original draught of the covenant, is a writ locked up in the cabinet of God's fecret purpose; and fecret things belong not to us, but the things that are revealed therefore, 2. There is an extract of this original writ, and this extract is written in the Bible, which is the book of the covenant this you have among your hands; and this copy of the covenant is fent open to you all to sign and subfcribe, by giving faith's affent and confent to the covenant, or clofing with Chrift, the covenant of the people, as he is offered in the gospel. Now, though this extract be a true copy, answering exactly to the original; yet, for rendering all inexcufable, to whom these presents are sent, if they do not subscribe, and for gathering in all the elect, this fair extract is directed to all, and every one of you, giving you full and fufficient warrant to fign and fubfcribe for yourfelves; for you cannot poffibly fee your names in the original, till once you have figned your consent, by fubfcription, to the copy that is among your hands, which is here let down on the earth, to fee how you please it, this day. And if you fign the extract, as it is fent to you, then you may lay claim to the original, and fee your name there, which alone is the privilege of thefe that make the extract their own by figning it; for, "The fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will fhew them his covenant." He fhews them fometimes their name in the original writ of the covenant. It is the settled

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örder of heaven, that although fome, who, by faith, fubfcribe the extracted copy, are kept in the dark about their names being in the original; yet none fhall fee their names there, but thefe who fubfcribe their names here.

QUEST But, for what purpose serves my putting my name to the foot of a bond, if my name be not in the bond itfelf? Why, then, read the direction of this gofpelcovenant, and fee if your names be there, and anfwer to your names; for I fhall endeavour to be as practical, as I go along, as poffible, that I may have the lefs to do in the application. For whofe benefit then is he thus the covenant? Why, it is even for the advantage of these whofe names are here fet down; and tho' they may not here find their particular names, John, James, Mary, Martha, yet their general names; yea, both their more general and more fpecial names are here.

1. Their more general name is, the people; he is the covenant of the people: and here all finners of mankind, who hear of Christ, have a claim to put in for a fhare in him, feeing the covenant is directed to them; whofoever they be that hear this gofpel, all faving benefits are preached to them by Jefus Chrift, according to the ministerial commiffion, faying, "To you is the word of this falvation fent," Acts xiii 26. And in this fenfe the apofile fays, Titus ii. 11. "The grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men :" or, as it may be rendered, as you fee it in the margin of fome of your Bibles, "The grace of God, that bringeth falvation to all men, hath appeared." Let them ftraiten the gofpel-offer who will, they do it at their peril; our commif fion is wide and full, infomuch that this covenant is directed to all to whom these prefents may come. If this be your general name, that you are one of the people, be what you will otherwife, then you are concerned to anfwer to your name, and put in for a fhare of the grace of this covenant by fubfcribing and faying Amen to it. Why, fay you, that is a general name indeed; I dare not deny but that is my general name; then man, woman, do not put that covenant from you. But, fay

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you, Is there no more fpecial name of the people, whofe covenant he is? Yea,

2. Their more fpecial name is here fet down in black and white; for, who the people are, what people in a Ipecial manner is here meant, is cleared in the following words, "A light to the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prifoners from the prifon, and them that fit in darknefs, out of the prifon-houfe." And here you will find both the name and firname of the people intended; and I believe your names and firnames, that hear me, will be found in it. 1. The name is Gentile. 2. The firname is, Gentile, dark and blind; Gentile, bound and imprisoned.

(1.) I fay, the name of the people, whofe covenant he is, is Gentiles; and, I fuppofe, this is the name of all that hear me, if there be not Jews here: if I thought there were any, I would drop fome promife of Chrift to, and concerning them, that might draw them to him alfo, if the Lord would put forth power with it. However it is to you, Gentiles, that I am speaking; and, O may I venture to say with Paul this day, "To me, who am lefs than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, to preach among you, Gentiles, the unfearchable riches of Chrift! This is a part of the mystery of godlinefs, Chrift preached to the Gentiles, 1 Tim. iii. 16. It was a mystery to the Jews, and primitive Chriftians, when Chrill was first given by a preached gofpel to the Gentiles, Acts ix. 17, 18. Why? the Gentiles were called the uncircumfion, Eph. ii. 11.; being abominable outcasts, whofe entering into the temple, was enough to pollute it but now the gofpel declares, God will juftify the uncircumfion by faith. The Gentiles were called aliens without God, without Chrift, without hope; aliens from the common-wealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife, Eph. ii. 12. But now the covenant of promife is given and exhibited to the people that were aliens. Gentiles were called dogs; "It is not meet to take the childrens bread and caft it to dogs," fays Chrift to the woman of Canaan, one of the pofterity, it feems, of thefe accurfed nations, that were devoted by that word, Gen. ix. 25. "Curfed be Canaan:" and indeed the Gen

tiles and Canaanites, as they were contémned by the Jews, and looked upon as dogs; fo in comparison of the houfe of Ifrael, who were fe much bleffed, dignified, and privileged of old, Chrift feems here to allow it, and affert that they were curfed, that they were dogs. But now the tables are turned, the Gentiles are called; and, in this woman, the Lord gives an inftance of what mercy was in referve for thefe dogs and we Gentiles may plead the fame privilege, at leaft, with that wo man of Canaan, "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their mafters table." The door of Bethlehem, the houfe of bread, is open, Acts xiv. 27. God hath opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, even to dogs: the door of the covenant is open, and we dare not shut the door upon any dog in all this houfe; and therefore, as we ufe to fay, At open doors dogs come in: allow me in this homely comparifon; for, as all the Gentiles, fo all the wicked are called dogs; Rev. xxii. 15. "Without are dogs, and forcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters." But the door being open to all fimmers by this gofpel, you may come to Chrift for falvation, as freely as a dog will come in at an open door; yea, more freely, and boldly; for dogs many times come in uncalled, and therefore we beat them out again; but here is both a call to come, and a promife of welcome; "Whofoever will, let him come; and him that cometh, I will in no wife caft out." Well, I fay, the Gentiles are called dogs, and if that be a part of your name, man, woman, answer to your name, and take with your name, and take the bleffing that is offered to you by name. If you have no better name than that of a dog, come with that fame, and fet it down at the foot of the contract, by. fubfcribing your confent to have Chrift to be your covenant; and though it be a bafe name, he will not refufe to take in your fubfcription. In a word, the Gentiles are called heathens, Gal. iii. 8. "The fcripture forefeeing that God would juftify the heathen thro' faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, faying, In thee fhall all nations be bleffed." Good news to heathens and pagans, fuch as we in our forefathers were; and this is the gofpel indeed, that was preached VOL. I. N

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