66 Of EleElion. ~Ark, and abiding therein (whereunto the Ad of our Faith on Chrifl nn!.wcr. BooK I. eth) was his Salvation it ftlf: God himfelf fays to him, Comt', ell/er T/; 011 \/"V"JGm. 7.1. and he was fafe, and faved .by fo doing: Unto wh>ch that ofChrifi~ anfwers; WhoeverJus the So11, mtd comts to htm, _7oh116. 35'· AJJd he that comtth I will rai{e 11p at the latter day, Verf. 37· Which is interpreted, He that6dieveth, Ver{. 40,44,4)• All Noah's holinefs would not have faved him from the Waters; but his bemg in the Ark faved him from the Waters. And that Salvation as fo conlidered, is that which bears the Figure of our Salvati– on. And when he was in the Ark all the while, although his meat and drink kept his Bodily Spirits alive as a Man; yet his Salvation, conlidcred as it was a Salvation in the Waters , and from the Flood, was his being in the Ark; and that Salvation, precifely as fuch, is that which is in the Figure. This for the firfr abfolutenefs of this Grace and Covenant. The feccnd Parallel is the everlafring !\ability, furenefs, fixednefs, and con– il:ancy of the Grace of the Covenant; which, Verj. 8. is termed everlaj/111g kittdnefJ: And the Covenant it felf as unmoveable as are the Mountains.Thm may the Covma11t of my Peace lu removed, Verj: 10, And this lignified by the frability of NMh's Covenants, both firfr and fecond. And thereJore the word, I wi!J jla61tjh my Covmant, is ufed of the firfl, Gell, 6.18. and of the fecond, Gm. 9·''· And the fame word is repeated here in I{ai. H• In right'eoufiufi fhalt 6e efltJ6tJjhed, Verf '4· And to typifie forth this fiabllity of the Covenant did NO!lh's fecond Covenant, in a fpecial manner ferve: And therefore the very words thereof are to this very purpofe rehearfed in this verfe ofmy Text. And to this very purpofe I 1hewed how many of the words and patr.ges there– of ore referred unto, and tranfpofed into the Grand Charter of rile Covenant of Grace, to confirm the perpetuity thereof; as in Three feveral Chapters fee together of Jtremiah, you find them, which I mull remit the Reader unto. And for this purpofe it is that God produceth his Oath in the Text, as that which he profefleth to have intended in t\lis Covenant W>th Noah, As I have Jwom, ~c. And the like parallel Oath, in correfpondency thereunto, he affix– eth to his Covenant of Grace here, So have I (worn I wilt ttot be wroth w 11h thee: that is, with a wrath to defirudion; even as he had fworn, The Wa' trrs of Noahjhoutd 110 morego owr the Earth to dejlroy it. And an Oath, we know,is immutable,as Hr6r. 6. 18, Yea moreover, God profelfeth himfclf re. folute and peremptory in it, concluding, ThmJrtith the Lord th,ll hach mrrcp otJ thet: that is, that God, who is fer in his heart, and purpofes to exercife nothing elfe but mercy towards thee; even as God to exprefs his peremptori– nefs in 1hewing Mercy to Mofes, I wilt be merCJfitl to whom 1 wtl! be mercz– fut. And truly there is this Confiderable about God's alledging his Onh to Noah, that if God had not faid chat he intended an Oath, in that he intended an Oath in that his Covenant with Noah, we could never have challenged him of it, if he had kept his own Counfel : For read the whole Story there, arid there's no mention of an Oath, or any words that tend that way, only that God 1hould have faid in his heart, I wilt not curfe the Grotmdmty more, Gm. 8. 21. But God was privy to his own intention, and fo upon this occalion de– clares it; and his manner of (peaking here fecrerly imports it, Thu u the wa· ters of Noah tome: chat is, between me and my felf, who knew my own in· tencion5. But you will fay; Will not mens fins break this Covenant, though God will not? I Anfwer; They would infallibly break between God and us, ifGod fhould not take order to keep us from fuch ways of finning, as would bring everlafl· ing wrath upon us. Promijfis fe cura111rum, (faith Pi{cator well:) He will have a watchful eye, and powerful hand, to prevent fuch linnings : As upon occalion of his like Oath to the perpetuity of his Covenant of Grace, he de– clares toV.•vid, in Pfal. 89. 30, ~r, 32. If hu Chitdrnz forfake my Ltw, andwalk not in my 1udgments; If they 6rMk my StCJtutes, and keep ttol my Commandtmtnts; thm wilt I vijit their Tranfgrt(fion with th• Rod, a11d thrir Iniquity with jlripes. And by thofe Chail:,fements I will reduce them again: But, (as Ver[. 34•) my Covenrmt wilt I not 6rMk, mr ulterthe thtng . .~t
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