So Book Ill. JLooktng unto jjefu.s. Chap t.Secr.s. him, a_s h_e was thy ~ead. 2. C~ui!t is able to perform the Covenartt, and being contra. ctor, 1t !_res upon hrs fcore to fa~rsfie h10 Father, he that fir£! made the bargain, mutt look to fulfil rt; and for.thy part , 1f thou do£! any tlung, 1t mutt be through him. Without John 1 )• S· me ye can do nothmg. WhyJee ?o~,feehow the Covenant repels all thy oppolitions in . r~fpect of the per_fons mtere!ted .~n lt from all eternity; God bath his place, and Cbrift h1splace, and Fatth lusl'laee, an<! the Smner his place. 3. It is we_ll ordered m refpect of the method of the Anides in their feveral workin • fir£! God begms, then we ·come on:· firll, God, on his part, gives Grace and Glorgs, andthenwe, on our parrs, aCl:Faithand Obedience: God hath ever the ·fir!\ work- y, Jor. 3 ,. 33fidl;, I will be yo~er God, and thenyou jhall be my people: fir£!, I will tak; away the fto:; Ezc. 36,,6.31. heart, ahdgwe an heart ofjlefh, and then JOil [hall loathyour[elves for y•ur iniquities and Ezek.3~·'S· for JOltY abommatwns' firfi; I wrHfprtrzl(]e W<Jier 1epon yo1e, and then yejha/1 be clean f" fz-k ·6 q 11 jil h.•r. fi it I ·;. . . . rom Zc~h:;,:,o: a /obr t Jlttl<J,;,:'_ r 1wtd~ pm my fpr,nt m to yM, pnd caufe YDil to walk_ in my Statutes, an t enye Ja" ><,!tp my u ![;ments and do them: firtt I will poure ottt my Spirit of Grace · and Ji•ppl~catJOn upon Y"', and then ye (hall mo~rn as a man mo~~rning for his only Son: firit, I wrll do all, and then you lhall do fomethmg : A perplexed troubled fpirit is apt to cry out, 0 ' alas I can do nothing ; I can as well dijfolve a Rock_, as mv.k; my hwt of ft~neaheartof jlejh! Mark now how the Covenant !tands well ordered like an Army: 1 wttl do all, faith God, and then thou lhalt do fomething; I will ftrengthen and quicken you, and then you lhall ferve me, faith the Lord. 4· It is well ordered in refp«'t of the end and aim, to which all the parrs of the Covl. !<ph. 1 • 6. nanr are referred; the end of the Covenant is the praife of the glory of hu Grace: the parrs of the Covenant are t~e Promife and the Stipulation ; the Promife is either princi. pal or rmmedtate, and that IS God and Chrtf't; or fecondary and confequenti~l, and that is pardon, juttification, reconciliation, fanCl:ification, glorification ; and the f'tipulari– on our pans, are faith and obedience: we mu!\ believein him that juftifiesrbeun– godly, and walk before him in all well-pleaGng. Obferve now the main deGgn and aim of W!e Covenant, and fee but how all the flreams run cowards that Ocean: Godgim himfdf torhepraifeof the glory of hi;grace, God gives Chrif't to the praife of the glory of hi< grace, God gives pardon, juflification, fanCl:ificacion, lalvarion to the praifeof the glory of hi4grace; a~d we believe, we obey to the praife of the glory of hio grace; and good reafon, for al!ts of grace, and therefore all mufl rend to the praifeof thegloryofhis grace: it is of grace that God bath grven himfell, Chrift, pardon, juflification, recon. ciliation, fanctification , falvation to any Soul, tit is of grace that we believe: By grace Eph. >.8., ye are favedthrough faith, not of your [elves, it is the Jift of God. 0 the fweer and comely order of this Co~e~ant! All is of grace, and all tends tothe prai(e andglory of this grace, and therefore tr Js calleda Covenant of grace: Many a fweet foul IS forced to cry,I cannot believe,I may as well reach heaven with a finger,as lay hold on Chrill by the hand offaith · but mark how the Covenant flands like a well mar/hailed army to repel this l'hil. r. '9• doubt; if rhou can£! not believe, God will enable thee to believe; to )'ou it isgivexto believe: 0 the Covenant of Grace is a gracious Covenant: God -~ill not only promile good d1ings, but he helps us by his S!iirit to perform the condmon : He works our beans to believe in God, and to believe in Chri!t, all is of Gaace, that all may rend to rhc praife of the glory of hisgrace . 5. Wherein is the Covenant fure? I anfwer, it is fure rn the performance and aclfa. H· 3· complifhment of it. Hence the promifes of the Covenant are called the fi•re Mercies of David; not btcaufe they are fure unto Davidalone, but becaufe they are fure, and fl1all befurenntoatl the feed of David, that are incovenant with God, as David was: the Promitesof GodsCovenanr are nor TeaandlVay, variou< and uncertain, burrhey"e .aor. •·:•o. Yet<and Amen fure to be fulfilled. Hence the £!ability of Gods Cdvenant is compared to the firmnefs'and unmoveablenefs of the mighty mountains; nay Mountains may de- ! fa. s 4 . 10 , part, and thehillsberemovedbya Miracle, but my k_indnefs (h.r/lnordepart fro>nthee, ""' ther jhail the Covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that bath mercy on ~bee. Sooner flull the Rocks be removed, the Fire ceafe to burn, the Sun be turned IntO darknefs, and the very heavens be (onfounded wi~h the eanh, than_the pror;ufeof ~od p(,/,!9· 1• /hall faiL The Teftimony of the Lord is Jure, fanh Dav1d: Chnft made Jt, andwm it with his own blond. to this very end was Chriftappointed, and it bath been allf<bts work to enfure Heav:n to his Saints. Some queflion whether it be in God~ prf, ent power to blot a name out of the Book of Life ? We fay no ; his deed was at firll reei but now it is necelfary, not ab~olucely, but ex hypotheft, upon fuppofidon of hts eg~~:.
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