gofpel itself; and this makes much wranglings on this head. The gofpel, largely taken for the difpenfation thereof, hath the whole law in it, fubfervient thereunto; but ftrictly taken, it is a quite other thing than the law of commands. Faith and repentance may be called gofpel-commands, if you fpeak of the difpenfation of the gofpel; but if you fpeak of the gofpel itfelf, they come in under another confideration. We are to diftinguish betwixt duties and graces: Faith and repentance, as they are duties, are commanded in the law; but as they are graces, they are promifed in the gofpel, We are to diftinguish betwixt a new commanded duty, and a new prefented object; the gafpel presents a new object of faith, a God in Chrift; but the fame law that was from the beginning, obliges us to believe whatever new revelation God makes. If we understand it safely, then we may fay, the law obliges us to believe the gofpel, and therefore he that believeth not the gofpel, is condemned already by the law, John iii. 18. And this condemnation fhall be more aggravated, than if this new object of faith had never been prefented, or if this light had never come into the world, ver. 19. 10. Hence learn, If Chrift be given as the covenant of the people, then we may fee the nature of faith, and its appropriating quality. When God fays, "I will give thee for a covenant of the people" faith fays fomething by way of anfwer, correfponding with the revelation and teftimony of God: God fays, I GIVE; faith fays, I TAKE God fays, "I give him for a covenant;" faith fays, I take him for a covenant; God fays, "I give him for a covenant of the people;" faith fays, I am one of the people; I take him for my covenant, my own ALL: it is the people's covenant in the general offer, but my cove nant in the particular application of faith faith breaks, the fhell, and eats the kernel. The general difpenfation of the gofpel fays, he is given for a covenant of the peo ple; the particular application of faith fays, he is given for a covenant to me: God fays, I give him; faith fays, I take him as a gift, a free gift: God fays, I give him, it is I that gives him; faith fays, I take him as thy gift, as God's gift; God fays I will give him, it is my will to do it; faith fays, thy will be done, even fo I take him according to thy will, Amen, fo be it; and all the people fhould fay Amen; and every one for himself should fay Amen to God's offer, and receive and reft upon him alone for falvation, as he is offered; and in fo doing, believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, they fhall be faved, Acts v. LI. 11. Hence fee, if Christ be thus given for a covenant of the people, fee the GROUND of faith that all the hearers of the gofpel have: Why, the offer is univerfal to all that hear the gofpel; I give him for a covenant of the people. Let Arminians maintain, at their peril, their univerfal redemption; but we muft maintain, at our peril, the universal offer; neceffity is laid upon us, and wo to us, if we preach not this gaspel to every creature. Chrift is fo far given to all the people that hear the gospel, that it is warrantable for them to receive the gift it is no prefumption for them to take what God gives; they fhall not be guilty of vitious intromiffion in, fo doing; nay, they fhall be guilty, they fhall be damned, if they believe not, and take not God's gift. It is true, reprobates will exclude themselves, but this gofpel-offer does not exclude them; they have as fair a revealed warrant to believe, as the elect have. We cannot fay, you are an elect man, you are an elect woman, therefore believe: we have no fuch commiflion: nay, God, by this gospel, cafts the covenant in among all the people, faying, "Whofoever will, let him take;" whofoever pleases, let him take, and in taking, he shall have a proof of his being an elect veffel. As it is faid of the Jews, "To them. belong the covenant and promifes;" fo fay I to you, Gentiles, the covenant belongs to you; "The promise is to you, and your children :? you have a right and a warrant to take all; and this right was fealed to you in baptifm, and is proclaimed to you in this gospel; and you fhall be inexcufable if you improve it not: you will have none to blame for your damnation but yourselves, and your own enmity and ill-will;. "You will not come to me, that ye might have life. I would have gathered you, and you would not." 2. Hence we fee the certainty of the converfion of the elect; whofe converfion, in particular, is God's great end and defign in exhibiting Curift as a covenant to the people in general. It is with a defign to give Christ to them in poffeffion, that he gives him to a visible church in the golpel offer. It is for the elect's fake that the reprobate have an offer of Chrift; and if once all the elect were gathered, the found of the filver-trumpet of the golpel fhall be heard no more. The difpenfation of the golpel is the mean which he fanctifies and bleffes to that end, for working and begetting faith in all the elect, whofe names, as I fa'd before, are all recorded in the original draught of the covenant, which is indeed a fealed writ, that we have nothing to do with, till once we have fubfcribed the open copy that is here before us all. However, this work is not left arbitrary to the will of men, otherwife none would ever be willing; for all are enemies, and the power of enmity is infuperable by men therefore our text promifes, not only the means, the general donation of Chrift in the indefinite offer, but also the power, the effectual application of the cove nant of grace, to the converfion of all whom Chrift did undertake for. Why, the covenant here exhibited, is propofed as a covenant of light; light to the Gentiles, and to remove fpiritual darknefs; a covenant of fight; to open blind eyes, and fo to remove fpiritual blindnefs: and a covenant of liberty; to remove fpiritual bondage to fin and Satan; all which denote effectual vocation, which is a being brought from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. And hence we fee, how effectual vocation and faving faith followed upon this very gofpel-difpenfation, Acts xiii. 47, 48. that an effectual application of the covenant of grace is here promised to Chrift, in behalf of all that were given to him; it is abfolutely promifed, that he fhall fee Lis feed, and fee the travail of his foul. "The election flialt obtain ;" and, All that the Father hath given him, fhall come to him: and yet we fee that the accomplishment. hereof, is by ways and means of his appointment, in the general invitation and call of the gofpel. God, by his will of precept revealed, commands all, where ever the gofpel comes, to believe; and he mocks none; for all So that that do believe fhall certainly be faved: and tho' none have power to make the means effectual; yet the utmost attendance to the general call of the gofpel, is of the utmoll concernment to your fouls for eternity; for, who knows that he is not of that number, whom Chrift coyenanted for, and will make it effectual unto? But fo vaftly copious and comprehenfive is this doctrine, that I might begin anew, to give a bundle of more inferences therefrom. 1. Hence we may fee the miferable circumftances of all unbelievers, that hear this gospel, and yet refuse God's gift of Chrift as a covenant. They continue under a covenant of works, both in its commanding and con demning power. That they are under its condemning power, is evident; for, fays Christ, "He that believeth not is condemned already" And that they are under its commanding power, is evident allo; for, fays the apoflle, "They are debitors to do the whole law," Gal. v. 3. In Adam's covenant, they remain under obligation to duties and punishment, as long as they are not interested in the new covenant. Tho' by the gofpel they are obliged to feek a title to life thro' Chrift's obedience, and freedom from wrath, through his fatisfaction; yet while this covenant is flighted, they remain obliged, in their own perfons, to yield perfect obedience, upon pain of damnation if they be not under the command with the promife, Do and live, they are under the commandwith the threatening, Do, and be damned. They are in á miferable ftate; for the laft failure, in obedience to the command, brings them under the whole curfe of the threatening, and wrath of the eternal God, while they will not have a better covenant. 2. Hence we may fee the folly of all that prefer any ruining covenant to this covenant, which God gives for our relief. The covenant of works is now a ruining covenant; yet many prefer this covenant to Chrift, the covenant of the people. They prefer their doing to Chrift's doing, while they cannot believe they fhall have acceptance with God upon Chrift's doing, and obedience; and yet they will hope, that if they do their best, then God will accept of them: O proud devil, that thos makes makes the dung of thy duties of more account than the perfect obedience of the Son of God! The covenant with hell is also a ruining covenant; and yet the world prefers this alfo to that glorious covenant, while they are in league with their lufts, and prefer their base idols to the Son of God. 3. Hence we may fee the difference betwixt the law and the gospel; the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. The law promifes nothing but upon our doing; the gospel promifes nothing but upon Chrift's doing: he is the covenant of the people. The covenant of works promifes life, if we obey in our own perfons; the covenant of grace promifes life, if we obey in our Surety. The condition of the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace both, is perfect obedience; but here lies the difference; the condition of the covenant of works is perfect obedience perfonal; the condition of the covenant of grace is perfect obedience imputed, and conveyed to us by a faith of God's operation. Yet both law and gospel are sweetly fubfervient, the one to the other, and. work to one another's hand, while the law declares. what obedience God requires, and the gospel provides that cbedience, and points out Chrift as the all of it; fo faith doth not make void the law, but establishes it, and, makes it honourable, &c. Christ hath fulfilled the condition of the covenant, to the Father's contentment; "The Lord is well-pleafed for his righteoufnefs fake, for he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable.”. 4. Hence we may fee the difference betwixt God's co. venant of grace, and our covenant of duties. Our covenant of duties is either private and perfonal, or public. and national. If by perfonal-covenanting be either meant believing at first, and laying hold on God's covenant, or the believer's engaging,' through grace, to ferve the Lord, in all the duties of religion; it is indeed the duty and honour of every perfon, to be thus engaged. Public and national covenanting is alfo the duty and honour of a land: it was the glory of Scotland, that we were folemnly in covenant; wherein our forefathers, for themselves and their pofterity, "engaged and fwore a gainst popery, prelacy, fuperftition, and every thing, " con |