J.Loolitng unto jjcfu_s. Book Ill. 99 ------- • He is the wimcfs of the covenant · he faw, 'and heard all , Behold. I have Ha. ss. 4· qi.:C~ him for a witm:fs to the people. And he is called the faithful witnefs. The ~ev. 1 • 1• A11~er. : The faithf~tl and tme witne[s. The co_venant fauh, the So". of rn"n came to L~k; i~I~;,. Jce/z and to fave that which WM loft; Amen, fanh Cbnfl , I can Wttnefs that to _be crue, the covenant faith, Chrifl dyed; an,d rofe again for (inners; ~men fatth Chrift , I w~..- dead, and behold I live for evermore; .Amen. There s not any 1\cv, r. I 8. rhino faid in the covenant, but Chrifl is a wicnefs to it, and therefore we read tn the veryb end of the Bible, this fubfcription (as I may call it) in relation ro Chnfl:. Rev.u. zo. }-]c which tc{lijieth thcfe things: f.:uth, furely J come q~tickly. .Amen. .. 4· Chrift is the Surety ot the covenant. In"' much as not wuhout an oath he lleb.,7·'"·»· was made a Priejl, -· --by (o m11ch was {e[«< m•de a furety of a better Tej/ament. The co"nant of works had a promife, but becaufe it was to be broken, and done away, it had no oath_ of God as th!s hath; 0 doubting foul , thou fayefl: thy f,Jvacion is not fure, thtnk on tlus Scrtpture, thou hafl the oath of God for it. it is a fworn article of the covenant, believe in the Lord {efm "nd thou jh.1lt be (.1~ed. and ro this end is Chri!t a Surety. I. Surety for God, he undertakes 'tlm God fl1all fulfil · his part of the.covenant, fear not little flock._, for it i< your Luke ; ,, 3 ,; f'athers good pleafttre to give you the Kingdom. And all that the Fathergwerh me, Jha/1 come to me, and him that cometh l~nto me I will in no wife caft out. 2. Surety for u;; lnd to J,;,hn 6 · 37· rhis purpofe he hath paid a ranfome for us; and giveth a new heart to us; and he is ingagcd to lofe none ofus. Thofc that thougavejf me I have ktpt, and none of them i5 /off. John '7· "· 5· Chriflisrhe Mediator ,ofthe covenant: the Apofl:le calls lum 'je{m 'the Mediator of the new covenant : he hath fomething of God, as being true God; and fome- H<b. 1 '· '4· thing of man as fltaring with us of1he narure ofman ; hence he is Mediator by office, Job. 9· H· and layeth his hands on both parries as a dayes·man doth; and in this refpect he is a friend, a reconciler, and'a fervam. I. Afriend to both parries, he bath Gods heart for man, to be gracious, and he hath mans hearr for God to fatisfie ju[\ice.z.A reconciler ofboth parties ; he brings down God to a treaty of peace and he brings up man by a ranfame paid, fo that he may fay unto both, Father come do1vn to my brethren, my kindred and fiep,; and tholl my Sijfer and Spoufe come up to my Father, and my Father, t1 my God, andthyGod. 3· He isafervanttobothparries, behold my fervant, faith God, myH righteom .fervant. Yea, and our fervant, he c.<me not to be ferved, but to ferve, mtdto H:: :~: '; r: give hi5 lzfe a ranfomefor man)'. · Mat. 2o. 28. 6. Chri!l is the Tefl:ator of the covenant : he dyed to this very end, that !Je might c<:mfirm the covenant, where aTej/ament u, there m11jt al(o ofneceJfity be the death of the 7cftam, for a Tej/ament is of force after men are dead , oth<rwife it u of no ftrmgth Heb. 9• 16,17.' at a//, whiles the Teftator liveth. Chrifl: then mu[\ dye, and Chrill,s blood mu[\ be flted 1 to feal the covenant of grace; it is not every blood, but Chrifts blood that muit feal the everlafling covenant, Heb. I 3. 20. And his blood being lhed, be is then rightly called the 'fellatorof the covenant, 0 wll<lt fe~el is here to fer our defires on fllme? come foul and bend thy deftres towards Chrul, as the Sun-flower towards the Sun, the Iron to the Loadfl:one, and the Loadllone eo the _Pole-ftar; yea, the nearer thou draweft towards Chrifl:, the more and more do thoudehre after Chrifl:; true defires never determine or expire : he that Bern. a, 1, 8 ; th~rjls let hrm th;r(f"more (fmh Bernard) and he tb•t de{ires let him deftre yet more evang. [erm. abrmdat~tly. Js there not caufe? 0 what excellencies haii: thou found in Chrilt? poor foul, thou haft undone thy felf by fin, there's but a fl:ep betwixt thee and damnation, but to faye thy foul Chrifl comes leaping on the mountains, andsk.ippingonthehi!ls; he enters toro a covenant with God; he is the covenant, the the melfenger of the covenant, the Wttnefs of the covenant, the Surety ef the covenant, the Mediator of the covenant, the Tefl:ator of the covenant, the great bufinefs, the all inall in a covenant of grace; lf Davidcould fay, my foul break.! fonhe/ongings that it hath to thy judgements PE 1 111 all trmes, bow mayrt thou fay, my ford break.! f~r the lo11gings th~t it bath to thy a' I ' 9 ' ' 0 ' me_rcmandmy Jef" at all times? Oh I gafpe for grace, as the rhirfty land [Qr. drops of rzm; I tlmfl:, lfamr, I languiflt , I long for an heany draught of the fountain openedto t e houfe of f>a.vtd. and tothe inhabitantso;· {erujirlem. Oh that I could fee Jefus flying through th~ mtd!t of heaven with the Covenant in his hand ! Oh I long for that Angel of the Covenant ; T long to fee fuch another vi!ion as John did, when he faid, and I Jaw ahnother .Angel flu m the midJI' of heaven, having the everlafting Gojpel to preach mrt• t "" th11t dwtll upon' the carrh. What? is that Covenant in the hand of Chrift? 0 2 and ...
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=