covenant of grace with man, when he had violated the former covenant. The Lord might have left us in our lapsed estate, as he did the fallen angels; "Non expectavit angelos, sed præcipitavit," saith St. Bernard. But he was more merciful to sinful man, who, since he fell not but by hearkening to the voice of a tempter, should not perish without having provided for him the blood of a Redeemer.

2. This covenant is founded and established in the blood of Christ. Sanction is essential to contracts, which, among the ancients, was done by killing of a sacrifice; of which custom we find mention, Jer. xxxiv. 18. And it was imitated by the Gentiles, "Stabant, et cæsâ firmabant fœdera porcâ." That then which the scripture calls 'the blood of the covenant,' was that whereby the covenant was ratified, or had its sanction; as we read in Tacitus, Suetonius, Plutarch, and others, of leagues sealed by drinking of blood. So Servius, the grammarian, will have 'sanctio' to come à sanguine,' and foedus' à feriendo.'

Now Christ, by his blood, is the Mediator and surety in this covenant, as our apostle telleth us; a Mediator, to reconcile; a surety, to undertake; according to the several articles whereby the parties in covenant stand engaged each

to other.

1. In behalf of God, there is due unto him, from man, satisfaction to his justice, and obedience to his law. Christ, as our surety, hath, in his own person, fully satisfied the justice of God, and rigour of the law; and as our head, doth derive upon his members the grace of his holy Spirit, whereby they are enabled to perform such evangelical obedience, as the covenant of grace doth require and accept.

2. In behalf of man, there is necessary remission of sin; reconciliation unto God; re-estating in an inheritance ; grace, to make him holy; glory, to make him blessed. These things God, in this covenant of grace, doth promise to give unto us in Christ, who, by the price of his blood, hath purchased them for us. Thus Christ, as our surety, hath paid our debt unto God; and as the purchaser and treasurer

of his father's mercy, doth procure and perform God's pro

mises unto us.

3. This covenant is an 'everlasting covenant,' so called by the prophet, Isa. lv. 3; as, by St. John, an everlasting gospel.' (Rev. xiv. 6) Though the manner of its dispensation in several ages of the church hath been diverse, yet the substance is one and the same for ever: "Varia sacramenta, fides eadem," as St. Austin speaks.

A covenant founded in everlasting love, the gifts whereof are without repentance: (Rom. xi. 29) a covenant ratified by the oath of God, to show the immutability of his counsel therein; (Heb. vi. 17) a covenant of the sure mercies of David; (Isa. lv. 3) of a kingdom which cannot be moved. (Heb. xii. 28)

Lastly; a covenant, the benefits whereof are for ever; everlasting salvation, (Heb. v. 9) an eternal weight of glory, (2 Cor. iv. 17) an inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. (1 Pet. i. 4)

Now if we consider each of these three particulars, we shall find them weighty arguments unto that holiness and perfection which the apostle here prayeth for.

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1. The whole substance of the covenant is frequently, in the scripture, comprised and recapitulated in these two words, "I will be their God, and they shall be my people "." And if he be our God, we must be holy; for it is written, "Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." (Levit. xix. 2)

And if we be his people, we must be holy; for "he saves his people from their sins." (Mat. i. 21) He purifies unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Tit. ii. 14)

Yea, our holiness is one principal branch of those good things which in the covenant of grace are promised unto us. "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." (Jer. xxxii. 40) "I will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes." (Ezek. xi. 19, 20) "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and

g Jer. xxiv. 7. xxx. 22. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 38. Ezek. xi. 20. xxxvi. 28. Hos. ii. 23.

do them." (Ezek. xxxvi. 27) The law doth but command; but the covenant supplieth grace to do, in sincerity, though not in perfection, what the law requires. "Lex imperat, fides impetrat," as St. Austin speaks. The law was given by Moses; but grace to perform the duties of the moral law, and truth to accomplish the prefigurations of the ceremonial law, came by Jesus Christ. (John i. 17)

2. The blood of Christ, whereby the covenant of grace is established, and the sure mercies of David purchased for us, is an invincible argument unto holiness of life; for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John i. 7) The blood of Christ purgeth our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God. (Heb. ix. 14) By the blood of Christ, we were redeemed from our vain conversation. (1 Pet. i. 18, 19)

In Christ crucified, faith secs his infinite love in giving himself for us; and this love of Christ constraineth us to live unto him who died for us. (2 Cor. v. 14, 15)

In Christ crucified, faith sees the justice of God against sin, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. And this works in the heart a hatred against sin, and an endeavour to avenge the blood of Christ upon it. And it works a fear of sin; for if sin brought a curse upon the sacrifice, it will much more bring it upon the sinner, if the sacrifice be despised. Where sin is found, it will be punished. Sin forsaken, and repented of, hath been found on the sacrifice, and hath there been punished. Sin unforsaken, and unrepented of, remains yet upon the sinner; and so long he himself is under the curse, which is due unto it. For Christ did not die to protect us in our sins, but to deliver us from them; he died to save the sinner, but withal to destroy the sin. He therefore who resolves to hold fast his sin, doth interpretative' resolve to let go salvation.

Again; the apostle teacheth us thus to argue,-"We are not our own, for we are bought with a price; therefore we must glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20) For, "quod emitur, transit in potestatem ementis." In the imperial law, a person, redeemed, became the servant of him that redeemed him, ' per modum pignoris,' till he could pay back his ransom. Certainly, Christ did not purchase us with so precious a price as

his own blood, that we should continue the servants of Satan and sin still, which he came to destroy. "Ye are bought with a price," saith the apostle"; "be ye not the servants of men," much less of sin: for "to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." (Rom. xiv. 9)

The apostle maketh mention of the fellowship' of Christ's sufferings, and our being made conformable to his death;' (Phil. iii. 10) wherein our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin,' as the same apostle speaks. For that is to be done to sin in us, which was done to Christ, when he was made sin for us.

The death of Christ was a violent death; Christ, having no sin in himself, could not have died otherwise than as a sacrifice. So sin in us would never die of itself. "Omnis peccator peccat in suo æterno." It must therefore be judged, condemned, and destroyed, as the apostle speaks. (Rom. vi. 6. Rom. viii. 3)

Again; the death of the cross was servile supplicium,' as historians usually call it; whereunto the apostle seemeth to allude, when he saith, that "Christ took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. ii. 7, 8) Thus should we treat sin as a base, vile, and servile thing, not suffering it to reign, or have dominion over us, as the apostle speaks. (Rom. vi. 12, 14)

us.

Again; the death of the cross was infame supplicium ;' Christ" endured the cross, and despised the shame," saith our apostle, Heb. xii. 2: so sin should be put to shame by "A sinner, in his baptism and repentance, doth," as Gregory Nazianzen elegantly expresseth it, παραδειγματίσαι Tǹv åμagτíav," put sin to open shame." "What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed," saith the apostle. (Rom. vi. 21)

Lastly; the death of the cross is frequently called, in historians, summum supplicium,' a cruel and a cursed death. We should show no mercy to sin. Christ would not drink the vinegar and gall, which some learned men (as I remem

ber) think was a cup of astonishment to dull his senses against the pain of death; thereby teaching us, if so, to refuse any anodynes or stupefactives, which might take away the sense of sin from us. Thus the blood of Christ is to cure sin, and not only to cover it. One of the surest comforts of the pardon of sin, is its dying in us; for the life of a Christian should be a showing forth of the death of Christ.

3. The everlastingness of the covenant of grace, is an impregnable argument unto holiness of life. There is no real fruit in sin; the promises thereof are all false and deceitful. Gehazi promised himself gain, but got a leprosy. Balaam pursued honour, but met with a sword. Achan found a wedge of gold; but it cleaved asunder his soul from his body. The only fruits of sin are, shame, if we repent; and death, if we do not repent. (Rom. vi. 21)

But whatever fruit we can promise ourselves from sin, it is all but vanishing and transitory. The pleasures of sin are but for a season; (Heb. xi. 25) the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof. (1 John ii. 17) Our sin will leave us nothing to keep company with for ever, but a polluted soul, and a guilty conscience. Now what a folly is it for men that are themselves immortal, who must have a being as long as there is power in God to preserve it, as long as there is truth in God to make good the promises of eternal life to them that serve him, and the threatenings of eternal death to them that despise him,-not to provide a happiness of equal duration with themselves! to prefer the false and dying comforts of the world, before the pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore! O let us learn, by a sincere and serious holiness of life, to secure unto ourselves the mercies of an everlasting covenant. O let us remember what a God we have to do withal, and dread to provoke him, because his wrath is eternal-" Who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"-and resolve to serve him with reverence and godly fear, because he will "render unto them, who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life." (Rom. ii. 7) And let the perpetuity of his covenant teach us constancy in our obedience. If he repent not of his mercy, neither should we repent of our duty: if he save us to the uttermost, we should serve him to the uttermost. There will be an end of