EVIDENCES OF FORGIVENESS. 175 them, to plead and argue with him. And without this a man could have no foundation for any intercourse or communion with God, or for any expectation from him, or any direction how to deal with him in any of his con- cerns. Great and signal, then, was the condescension of God, to take his poor creature into covenant with him- self. And especially will thisbe manifest, if we consider the ends of it, and why it is that God thus deals with man. These are no other, than that man might serve him aright, be blessed by him, and be brought to the everlasting enjoyment of him, all to his, glory. These are the ends of every covenant that God takes us into with himself; and these are the whole of man. No more is required of us in a way of duty; no more can be re- quired by us to make us blessed and happy, than what is contained in them. That we might live to God, be accepted with him, and come to the eternal fruition of him, is the whole of man -; all that we were made for, or are capable of ; and these are the ends of everycov- enant that Godmakes with man, being all comprised in the solemn declaration that " he will be their God, and they shall be his people." 2. This being the nature, this the end of a covenant, there must be some great and important cause to induce God to change, alter and abrogate a covenant once made and established; to lay aside one covenant and to enter into another. And yet this the apostle says ex- pressly that God had done, Heb. 8 : 13, and proves it, because Himself calls that which he promised a new covenant; which undeniably confirms two things.: first, That the other was become old ; and, secondly, That being become so, it was changed, altered, and removed. The first covenant was good, holy and righteous. It was such as it became God to make, and as it wasevery way the happiness of the creature to accept. We need no other argument to prove it to have been holy and
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