"contrary to the word of God; and to the doctrine, difcipline, worship, and government of the reform, ed church of Scotland; and that as we fhould anfwer to Jefus Chrift at the great day, and under the pain of God's everlasting wrath, and of infamy, and lofs of all honour and refpe&t in this world." And, O may not our hearts bleed to think on our defection from old-covenanted principles, and violation of engagements; yea, of the burning and burial of our covenants, and many grave-ftones laid upon the fepulchre; alfo the prevalency of abjured Popery in this land, without being duly lamented, and the open introduction of abjured Prelacy, and English Popish ceremonies and services, in many places of this land, without being duly teftified againft; but the zeal of many runs in another channel? Is it any wonder then, that the infamy and lofs of honour, and refpect in this world, mentioned in that covenant, hath come upon us, while our honour as a nation, and glory as a church, is funk into the horrible pit and filthy mire of infamy, bondage, flavery, and contempt? However, covenant-obligation to duty is what we ftand fill under; though many be afhamed of, and refuse to own thefe obligations, yet it is the glory of our land, however it be now defaced. And therefore, let us even, in our approaches to a communiontable, go forward, lamenting our finful defection from the covenanted reformation, acknowledging our folemn covenant-obligation; and hoping, that the Lord will, in due time, revive a covenanted work, and pour out a fpirit of reformation, But let us withal remember, there is a vaft difference betwixt God's covenant and our covenant, betwixt his promife, and our promise; we may break and change a thoufand times, but the covenant of grace is unchangeable, and stands fast in Chrift. Many poor Chriftians mistake matters fadly, by confounding their covenant and engagement to duty, with God's covenant of grace. They covenant to serve the Lord, and the next day they break it; O! fays the man, the covenant of grace is broken. Grofs ignorance! the covenant of grace is quite another thing, Therefore,

5. Hence

5. Hence we may infer, If Chrift be given for a co, venant of the people, the tranfcendent excellency of this, above all other covenants, whether of legal works, or golpel-duties. For here the Father is promifing to the Son, that he should be a covenant of the people; and fo it imports all the excellent qualities and properties

that can be in a covenant.

(1.) If Chrift be given of God for a covenant of the people; then it is a divine covenant, a covenant of God's making, and not of ours; it was made when we knew nothing about it; it was made when we were no thing; yea, when we were forfeen to be a company of loft and undone finners: God made it with his Son, and established all the articles, promifes, and bleffings of it, before the foundation of the world was laid; yea, it is God that makes the elect, in a day of power, to take up the extract of it, to read it, to love it, to fign it, Again,

(2.) If Chrift be given for a covenant of the people, then it is a free covenant, altogether free; abfolute, and unconditional to us: It is a covenant given of God; "I will give thee for a covenant." Our legal hearts are ftill for giving fomething to God, and for giving him this 'and the other fervice, in hope of pleafing and pacifying him; and doing fo and fo, in order to acceptance with him. Nay, but fays God, your giving me, is vain, unless I give you; your giving is not the way of it, but I will give and you fhall take. The legalift is conftantly for giving, but the believer is always for tak ing: you must know, that here you have nothing to give, but to take. There is an order indeed obferved in the covenant, and in God's giving: there is a condition of connexion between one bleffing and another; first the fpirit of faith is given, and then by faith, the man takes other bleffings; and receives of Chrift's fulness, Grace for grace. Here God gives all, and faith takes all. All that is required, is given; and all that is given, is giv. en freely. Faith itself doth but receive a right; it does not give one; it acts in a way of taking what God gives; it takes the covenant that God gives; it takes the righteoufnefs of Chrift, which is the meritorious

condition of the covenant, and fo is the means of our being accounted righteous. Not one promife of life, or of the eternal reward, can the believer, lay claim to, but in Chrift; "For all the promifes are in him yea, and in him Amen;" IN HIM, IN HIM; twice over, as I faid already: Why, we cannot claim any one promife in our name, upon performing any gofpel-condition, though by the aids of grace; for then, though it were never fo fmall, it were of debt to us: but our only claim is in him; that is, in the right of our Elder Brother, Jefus Chrift and thus it is of debt to him, but only of grace to us. And thus God is not a debtor to us, but to himfelf; to his own goodnefs and faithfulnefs, and to hist Son Jesus Christ. If either faith or obedience were a condition, then there were a fufpending the acts of 'God, upon fome actings of the creature; which, fays an eminent divine [Dr. Owen], cannot be, without fub'jecting eternity to time, the firit caufe to the fecond, the Creator to the creature.' Again,

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(3.) If Chrift be the covenant of the people, then it is a full covenant, having all things in it; it hath grace and glory in it; happiness and holiness in it: peace and pardon in it; yea, Chrift, who is ALL IN ALL, is in it ; for he is the ALL of it. Who can tell me of a grace or gracious quality that does not fpring out of this covenant and the promifes of it? It takes in all the promifes made to Chrift and to us. Some promifes are conflitutive of the covenant, as thefe betwixt the Father and the Son, concerning a feed; and here, Chrift hath fome peculiar promifes appropriate to him, which are not afforded to us in the fame manner and degree. Others are executive, or referring to the execution and application of it, as Heb. x. 11, 12. Some are principal, and concern the end, eternal life; others lefs principal, and concern the means, whether internal, as the Spirit and faith; or external, as ordinances; all is comprifed in the covenant. Again,

(4.).If Chrift be the covenant, then it is a fure covenant, The fure mercies of David." This covenant is fecured by the oath of God to his eternal Son; "Once have I fworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto Da

vid."

vid." He hath fworn, that the bargain fhall ftand, infomuch, that if all the devils in hell fhould attack the weakeft believer in Chrift, or that ever looked towards a covenanted Chrift, they cannot ruin him, it is impoffible; for the covenant, in which he is wrapt up, is established, drawn up, and concluded betwixt two unchangeable perfons, in prefence of that confenting; unchangeable witnefs, the Holy Ghost, one God, and of one and the fame will effentially with the Father and the Son; "The Lord hath fworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever." The parties of the covenant of grace are not God and man, but God and Chrift; and the believer is no otherwise a party, but in Chrift. 'And here is a bottom of everlasting confolation, that Christ and he are within one and the fame covenant, and it ftands as fure to them as it flands faft in him.

In a word, if Chrift be the covenant, then it is a glorious covenant, a holy covenant, an everlasting cove: nant; but I omit a great deal of particulars that I might here mention.

6. Hence we may infer, what is the marrow of the gofpel-feaft in the facrament of the fupper; it is even Chrift, given of God to be the covenant of the people : for, in the facrament, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant are reprefented, fealed, and applied to believers. To take the facrament, is nothing but a mock, if people do not in it facramentally, really, and believingly take Chrift as the covenant of the people : yea, the facrament of the fupper is the feal of the covenant, confirming, to the believer, all the promises thereof; "This is the New-Teftament in my blood." The covenant is fure enough in itself; but the believer is never too fure of it, while he hath unbelief in him and therefore God hath condefcended to give us all that we could require of the most faithlefs and difhoneft man upon the face of the earth, that we may believe him; `not only his word, and writ, and oath, but his feal too; and all hath enough to do to confirm the believer's faith yea, nothing will confirm and ftrengthen his faith, but the fame almighty power of God which wrought it at first, even the power whereby he raised

Christ

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Chrift from the dead. Yet, in these means, he uses to convey his power for that end; and therefore the believer is to use them: I fay, the believer, because none, who, by unbelief, refufe the covenant, are to meddle with the feal thereof, to profane it; yea, they that use the feal, and refuse the covenant, they feal their own condemnation; for, being under the covenant of works, they feal no other covenant, than that which they are under; and fo they feal themselves up under the bon dage and curfe of the covenant of works, which is the heavy curfe of the great God.-But now, paffing all other ufes, I come to clofe with a word.

2dly, For Exhortation. If God hath given Chrift to be the covenant of the people, then the native exhortation is, 1. That all the people take the covenant that God is here giving them. And, 2. That all who take this covenant, take the feal thereof in the facrament of the fupper. But, at the time, I confire myself to the

firft of thefe.

The First exhortation is to all the people that hear me, That feeing God makes offer of his Chrift to you, and gives him as a covenant of the people, you would take this gift off his hand. I am come to make an of fer of Chrift, as the ALL of the covenant, to you, in his name, who is the covenant, and in his Father's name, who gives him for a covenant of the people. If you go to a communion-table, and take the feal of the covenant, before you take the covenant itself, you will but mock God, and fet a feal to a blank; yea, you will seal your covenant with hell, and trample under foot the blood of the everlasting covenant. And therefore, I call you all, before-hand, to come and take the covenant. I know not how the call will be entertained; many will flight it, but yet we must make the offer in God's name, who commands us to preach the gospel to every creature. I know that you cannot, and will not embrace the offer, without divine almighty power be extended; but he uses to make the gospel-offer the channel of his power to gain fouls to himself. I know, moreover, that as you are unworthy of fuch an offer; fo you would mind, it is not me you have to do with,

but