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to Abraham long ago: "In thee fhall all nations be bleffed;" in THEE, what THEE? the fame THEE that is in our text, which preacheth the fame gospel alfo ? "I will give THEE for a covenant of the people;" even the people that are called Gentiles, and heathens, uncircumfion, aliens, and dogs. Well, there is the name of the people whofe covenant he is, they are Gentiles.

(2.) The firname of the people is Gentiles, dark and blind; Gentiles bound and imprifoned: and fee if the firname be not yours, Sirs, as well as the name. There are especially two firnames here that the people have. The first firname is dark and blind; this is imported int thefe words, "A light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes." Well, is this your firname? Are you darkness itself in the abftra&t? Are you in the darkness of ignorance, darkness of error, in the darknefs of corruption, in the darkness of confufion, in the darkness of desertion, in the darkness of delufion? O! here is a brave covenant for you to fign: It is a covenant of light; he that is the covenant of the people, is the light of the Gentiles. But all the light in the world, without fight, will be uncomfortable; and therefore, is another part of your firname blindness as well as darknefs? Have you not only fore eyes, and fee ill, but are you blind, and fee none at all? Are you blind with refpect to fin, and cannot fee it in its power and guilt? Blind with refpect to duty, and cannot fee what to do? Blind with refpect to God, and cannot fee him in his beauty and excellency? Blind with refpect to Christ, and cannot fee him in his glory, fulnefs, and righteousness? Blind with respect to ordinances, and cannot fee the power and glory of God in the fanctuary Blind with refpect to providence, and cannot difcern the figns of the times? Blind with refpect to your intereft in Chrift, and cannot fee whether that be fecured or not? Blind with refpect to your warrant to intermeddle with Chrift and his inftitutions? Blind with respect to all spiritual and eternal things? Why, this covenant of the people is defigned to open the blind eyes: And if darknefs and blindness be the firname of the people, for whofe benefit Chrift is the covenant, and if that be your firname alfo, why then there is room at

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the foot of this covenant, to fet down your name and firname both. This covenant of the people is a covenant of light, to the people that are dark; and a covenant of fight, to the people that are blind. Let all them that find this to be their firname, fubfcribe to this covenant, and fay, I am one of the dark people, and I come for light; I am one of the blind people, and I come for fight there is my name, Lord; let it be recorded among the dark, blind people of which Christ is the covenant.Again, the fecond firname of the people, is bound and imprifoned: This is imported in thefe words, "To bring out the prifoners from the prifon, and them that fit in darkness out of the prifon-houfe." Now, whatever prifon you are in, Sirs, if your firname be a bound prifon, our text fpeaks to you. Are you in the prifon of fin, a bond-flave and a fervant unto lufts? Are you in the prifon of Satan, in the devil's prifon, led captive by him at his pleafure? Are you in the prifon of the law, a debtor to do the whole law, and a debtor to bear the whole curfe of it? Are you in the prifon of carnality, clogged with things of this world? Are you in the prifon of a black league with death, and covenant with hell? Are you in the prifon of a natural ftate, as a child of difobedience, and a child of wrath? Are you in the prison of temptations, either from without, or within, filled with dreadful fuggeftions, and blafphemous injections? Are you in the prifon of affliction, either upon foul or body, flate or family? Are you in the prifon of doubts and fears and defpondency, with your foul caft down within you? Are you in the prifon of unbelief, concluded under it, fo as you cannot for your life get an act of faith elicite? Are you in the prifon of wretched careleffnefs, unconcernednefs, and indifferency, not caring whether you be loofed and delivered out of prifon or not? Are you in the prison of Atheifm, and cannot believe a God, a Chrift, a heaven, or hell? Are you in the prifon of death, and in bondage through fear of death? Or, are you in the prifon of fecurity, fearing nothing, but fleeping in the arms of the devil? What prifon-house are you in, man? Answer to vour name; prifoner in fuch

a prifon-houfe that I have named. Is the door of the prifon-houfe bolted and barred that you cannot get out, and the heavy chains and fetters of hell about you, fo as you cannot loole them any more than you can unhinge the axle-tree of the univerfe? Behold, this covenint of the people is a covenant of liberty for the people that are in prifon. If I have not named the prifon, or the chamber of the prifon-houfe you are in, name it yourfelf, and fay, I am prifoner in fuch a prifon-house; I have been to long and fo long in fuch a dark prifon, and lo, I let down my name, to wit, a bound prisoner, confenting to be liberate by the Son of God, and confenting that he would work the content himself, and do all that concerns my liberty. Why, man, down with your name that fame way; and if you be not fet at li berty in God's own time and way, you will be the first that ever gave in a fubfcription, and was not received: nay, marked and recorded it fhall be; for the covenant fpeaks to you by name and firname, faying, "Go forth, ye prifoners of hope: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he hath anointed me to preach and proclaim liberty to the captives." This covenant of the people then is drawn up already, and figned. See who hath figned it, ver. 8. "I am the LORD, that is my name?" He hath figned it by a name, by which he is known in heaven and earth, even JEHOVAH; I am JEHOVAH, I am the Lord, that is my name. O glorious name fubfcribing this bond! That is his name; what is yours? Why, can you fay, I am one of the people they call Gentiles? I am a dark, blind, bound prifoner; that is my name and firmanie both. Yea, be your name as vile and black as hell, yet down with it in capital letters; for the infinitely fair name of the firft fubfcriber will let it off; his name will anfwer for all the defects and deformities of yours: and if you wait till you be in a better condition, and have a better name to fign with, you will wait to the day of judgment, and in the mean time inevitably perifh at death; and all the money of your terms, conditions, and good qualifications, which you will bring as a price in your hands, will perifh with you. Nay, you have nothing to do in this covenant, but blefs God that brought

it to your hand, and fign it with your heart. Chrift hath a commiffion from his Father, and we in his name, to take in the fubfcriptions of all the people, whofe name and firname I have mentioned; and I hope I have not miffed any one here.Thus you fee who the people are, for whole benefit he is the covenant; and that he is well defigned the covenant of the people, feeing all the people here named have a right of accefs to the covenant, a warrant to leal and fubfcribe to it; and all the people, that are fubfcribers, have a right of poffeffi, on to the whole good of the covenant, and to the feal thereof, the facrament of the fupper.

IV. The Fourth thing propofed, was to fhew, By whofe authority, or by what authority, Chrift is the co venant of the people; and fo to hint at his divine ordination to this bufinefs, in thefe words, "I will give thee." Where you have, 1. The glorious perfon ordaining, I. 2. The glorious perfon ordained, THEE. 3. The gracious manner of the ordination, GIVE. 4. The graci ous motive and ground, "I wiLL give thee." A fhort - word to each of thefe.

ift, The glorious perfon ordaining Chrift to this work, "I will give thee;" What I? I the LORD, I JEHOVAH, I the firit perfon of the glorious Trinity. God the Father here is the first grand party of the covenant; yea, here is God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, effentially confidered, contracting with the Son, and ordaining him, perfonally confidered, to this work. Now, this glorious perfon ordaining Chrift to this work imports,

1. The will of God and the Father, that Chrift, the fecond perfon, fhould come and bear the whole weight of the covenants: Hence Chrift tells us, "He had com. mandment from the Father, and that he came to do his will," John vi. 37, 38, 39. God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, by an unanimous counsel, ordained and appointed the Son to come in his own perfon upon the errand of man's redemption; and God the Father being the first in the order of fubfiftency, and fo the firft in operation AD EXTRA, therefore the giving is primarily afcribed unto him.

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2. His being the perfon ordaining, imports the divine authority of Chrift's commiffion, in that he is given of the Father, and came from the Father, John xvi. 28, and xvii. 8.; where Chrift commends that faith which believes his divinę mission, his divine ordination to this mediatory work.

3. His being ordained of God, imports, God's confidence in him, as being both able for, and faithful to perform the whole work that he gave him to do. Hẹ was confident that he would be a faithful and righteous fervant; "By his knowledge thall my righteous fervant juftify many. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleafed."

4. His being the perfon ordaining, imports, the Father's zealous concern for the redemption and falvation of men; "God fo loved the world, that he gave his on, ly begotten Son: I will give thee." His hand is first at the bleffed bargain, fubfcribing this covenant; fhewing, that he will do the whole work of the covenant by himfelf, and by his Son Jefus Chrift; and will get the whole glory of it: and hence the ftrain in which he fubfcribes, ver. 8. "I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glo, ry will I not give to another." He will let none fhare of any of the glory of it but himfelf, either in the contrivement, commencement, advancement, or the com, pletement thereof.

2dly, The glorious perfon ordained, in the pronoun THEE, namely, Chrift the fecond perfon of the glorious Trinity, and the other part of the covenant; "I will give THEE." And Chrift being the perfon here ordained, imports,

1. His having cordially affented and agreed to the bargain; God would not have given him, if he had not confented: but as he and his Father are one, fo there is but one will betwixt them; and his confent is recorded among the decrees of heaven;" In the volume of thy book it is written of me, Lo, I come."

2. His being the perfon ordained, imports, the infufficiency of all others for the work of man's redemption; Him hath God the Father sealed: Sacrifice and offering thou would not, a body haft thou given me." Tho'

men

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