74 Book Ill. J.Lallung unto 'jcfu.S'. Cbap. x .sea. 4 • --------------------~----------- Heb. to.·~·''' 3. The Holy GhoUmakes a covenant with us. By one offerin~ he hath p;;j;ii;dj;; !6, ev.erthtm thatt~ref.wEI:ijitd; whereofthe Holy Ghoft aifo t> a witnejs .md a workfr.-- Thi< u the CtnJenant that I will mal:! with them, I will put my Law into their hearts and·. their mindes will hvrite them. I know the Father isimplyed in this, yet here is tl 1 e pr~~ per work of the Holy GhoU : wh~t the .Father hath purpofed for us from all eternity, and th~ Son bath purchafed for ~s m h1s ttme, that the Holy Gho(l effects in us and f. us as in ourtime , he applyes the blood of Chri~ for theremiflion of lins : he w~ites tlr La~ in ou; heartS: he c~mforts us in our fadnefs : he fupp_ons us in our faintings, an1~ gmdes us m our wandcrmgs. Now he that effects thefe th:ngs for us, and in our behalf !Je is therefore faid to make a Covenant with us. Thus Elobim,God perfqna·Jly cqnflderect' Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft are in covenant with us. ' 4- Thisisthegreatpromife, what can be greater? wbenGodfaidtoAbraham Ir.11 Heb. 6. '1· be thy God, what could he give more? fo when God tells us, I am the Lord rhy God, w'h~t could he far mor~?Godhaving no greater to fwea_r by, (faith theApojlle) he[wore by hi.,felf. S? God bemg ~mnded ro do great thmgs for h1s people ; and havmg no greater thing 10 ! gtve, he 151ves lumfelf. . 0 the.g~odnefs of God in Chri!l: ! I am the Lord thy God. 5. Let us fee the fruu of tlus m reference to, Ifrael; which bro~tghtthee ot/r ofthe Land . ofEgypt, omof the houfe of bondage. 1h1s was Gods promife long before to\;Abraham, · Gen.ts. '3,'4• kztowof a furery, that thyfeedJhall be ajlran~er in" Land that u r.ot theirs, andJhal!fervi them; andthey fhallajfhE:tthemfour hundred years; a11d alfo tb£t Nation rrhom they jhall fervctvi/1 I judge, and after\vardsJhall they come ottt withgreat jirbftance. See here Ifratl muft be !l:rangers in Egypt, and ferve the Egyptians four hundred years : bur then he will bring them out ofthe land ofEgypt, and out of their fervile bondage :why this aroues that God is}chovah : now he has performed what he had foretold , and,this argues ~hlt God i!l Chrift is our Redeemer : for what was this redemption from Egypt, but a type of our freedom from lin, death, and hell ? here is the work of redemption joyned with that great name Jehovah Elohim , to lignifie that fuch a redemption rs a clear teftimony of a true,and mighty God. Vvhether this were laid down only as ~peculiar argumentto the Jews to keep the Commandments, or it belongs alfo to us, being graffed in , and become of the fame tlock with them, I lhall not difpute : this is without any comroverlie that their bondage was typical, and ours fpiritual : you fee the good things promifed in this covenant. '· '6. What is the condition ofthis covenanron owr part as we may gorher it hence? The condition of this covenant is faith in Jefus, which is implyed in the promife, I will be thy God, or I am the Lord thy God : and commanded in the precept built .upon it, thou ftJalt have me to be thy God, or thouJhait have no other Gods before me. But where is faithinJe– fus Cbrift mentioned either in promife or precept? I anfwer, ifit be not expreffed , it is very plainly intended, or meant : God is not the God ofIfrael, but in and through the Mediator : neither can Ifrael take God to be their God, but by faith in the Meiliab. In the Prophets we read frequently thefe exhortations : truft in the Lord, co·~mit thy[e(f unto the Lord, lean upon the Lord, and r.ul thy burden upon the Lord : but what the Prophets exhort unto, that is commanded in this exprelfure of the Covenant; and w~o can tru!l:in the Lord, or commit himfelfto the Lord, or lean upon the Lord, or roullus bur– then on the Lord, ifhe be alinner, unlefs it be in and through a Mediator? I(rael mufr walk before God in all well-pleaGng ; and the ApoOle tells us~ that without faith it u im– poffibletopleafe God.. But to go no further, what is the meanmg of 1h1s firft comma.nd· Eel."· 6 • ment in the affirmauve part, but to have one God m Chrift to be our God by fa;th ? 1t Is true there is no mention made ofChrifr, or faith, but that is nothmg , there 1s no men– tion~flove, and yet our Saviour difcovers and commands it th~re; when the Lawyer temp~d Chri!l:, /v!after , which is the great Commandment m 'the. Law ? you know Mat. "·36, Chrifls anfwer, thou Jhaltlovethe Lord thy God wuh t'll thy heart, ll"th all thy foul, ~nd 3 7>JS. with allthy mind, th•< u the Jirft and great Command'!''"', , Mat. 2~· 36.37,38. Now as our Saviour difcovers love there, fo m hke manner ts faith and Chnfi there the necelfary ronfequenrs. But you may object, what fay we to obedience? is not that rather the condition ofthis covenant thu,sfl1ining in the Law.? . . Indeed the Law and obedience are Correlattves. Buttn this cafe we are nono look to the Law as meerly mandatory; we gave youthefenfe of the word,. and how tt ~' ufed :: a covenant ofgrace. remember only this. the Law IS confidered either more flnC!ly, it is an abtlrackd ruie ofrighteoufnefs, l;oldingforth life upon no other terms but r~feh'l: obedience· or more largely as that whole doctrine delivered on Mount Sin••' Wit c' e • • ~m
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