nal life and salvation to themselves, with all the awful solemnity of the most express words, yea, and of writing and subscribing it with their hands; which is commonly called personal covenanting. But I would have all to beware of a practical corrupting of the covenant of grace, by making covenants of their own, upon such and such terms, which they will fulfil for life and salvation. The carnal Jews mistaking the design of the giving of the law, did so corrupt the covenant of grace; looking for life and salvation, not for the sake of the promised seed alone, but for their obedience, such as it was, to the moral and ceremonial laws. And thus many, thinking that eternal salvation is proposed to them in the word upon the condition of faith, repentance, and sincere obedience to God's law, do consent to these terms, and solemnly undertake to perform them : just binding themselves to such and such duties, that God may save their souls and so they make their covenant. And while they can persuade themselves, that they perform their part of the covenant, they look for life and salvation thereupon. This doth quite overturn the nature of the covenant of grace: for "to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt," Rom. iv. 4; and "if it be of works, then it is no more grace," chap. xi. 6. The sinfulness of this practice is great, as overlooking Christ, the great undertaker and party-contractor by the appointment of the Father; and putting themselves in his room, to do and work for themselves for life. And the danger of it must needs be great, as laying a foundation to bear the weight of their salvation, which divine wisdom saw to be quite unable to bear it. The issue whereof must be, that such covenanters shall lie down in sorrow. So the apostle determines, Gal. v. 4, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."

Our part then, in this case, is only to take hold of God's covenant made already, and offered and exhibited to us in the gospel. This hold is taken by faith; which is, in Scripture account, the hand of the soul, John i. 12. So the original expression plainly carries it, Isa. lvi. 46, "That fasten in my covenant." In which phraseology, the correlate word hand (expressed Gen. xxi. 18,) is understood; q. d. That fasten (their hand) in my covenant; that is to say, "Who by the hand of faith take fast hold of my covenant;" as Adonijah did of the horns of the altar, 1 Kings i. 50, wherein the same manner of expression is used. And this you do by taking hold of Christ in the free promise of the gospel; believing that he is held forth to you in particular, confiding and trusting in him as your Saviour, for your salvation from sin and wrath, upon the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise, that whosoever believeth in him,

shall not perish, but have everlasting life, for he is given for a covenant to you, Isa. xlix. 8; and to receive him, is to believe on his name, John i. 12.

This is our making a covenant with God by sacrifice, which is mentioned, Psalm 1. 5. The original expression is, That cut my covenant upon a sacrifice; namely, by laying their hands in faith on the head of the sacrifice, thereupon cut down in their stead and so ceremonially transferring their guilt on the sacrifice; but really and spiritually, approving of the device of salvation by a crucified Saviour, and falling in with it as the method of salvation for them. In this way of covenanting, the free grace of the covenant is preserved pure and entire: for "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness," Rom. iv. 5. Here the honour of sole undertaker and party-contractor in the covenant, is, according to the Father's appointment left to Christ, the One that is mighty, Psalm 1x'xxix. 19. Here the second Adam builds the temple, without our laying one stone therein in our own persons; even as the first Adam Jaid it in ruins, without our pulling down one stone of it in our own persons and Christ bears the personal glory of the reparation, even as Adam the personal blame of the ruin, Zech. vi. 13. And at this rate the soul doth in time, for her own part, give her solemn approbation of the covenant made from eternity, and a personal consent to what Christ from everlasting consented to in her name: even as the princess married by proxy in her childhood, ratifies all when she is come to age, by receiving her husband. Like as all Adam's children, as such, taking salvation to heart, and therefore covenanting with God, do in effect repeat the covenant of works made with Adam their representative; so all the second Adam's seed, as such, taking salvation to heart, and therefore covenanting with God, do, in effect repeat the covenant of grace made with Christ their representative. In the making of the covenant before the world began, the Father proposed to Christ as second Adam, their head and representative, that he should take the burden upon him for them, and be their Kinsman-redeemer, their Surety for their debt of punishment and duty, and their Priest; and Christ consented thereto from eternity. Amen, for my part, says the elect soul in time, in the covenanting day; it is infinitely well ordered: I am a lost sinner, a debtor to divine justice, a guilty creature; he is, with my whole heart and soul, my Kinsman-redeemer, my Surety, my Priest: my part of the punishment incurred, and of the duty owing, is a vast and exceeding great part of that debt; but my soul is well content with and rests in that method of paying it: 2 Sam. xxiii. 5,

"He

hath made with me an everlasting covenant," (Heb. He hath put to me an everlasting covenant)" This is all my salvation and all my desire." The Father said to Christ as their representative, For thy so doing and suffering, "I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Amen, said Christ from eternity, "All mine are thine," John xvii. 10. Amen, for my part, says the elect soul in the time of personal covenanting. This heart of mine must have some God, I must belong to one or other; and too long have I been for another: but now, timber of the house, and stones of the wall, bear witness, my soul is content with, consents to, and rests in this method of disposing of me; namely, that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be my God in Christ, and I one of his people from henceforth and for ever.

This manner of covenanting is inconsistent with a purpose or desire of continuing in sin; even as one's committing himself for cure into the hands of a physician who cures infallibly, is inconsistent with a desire to keep his disease hanging about him. Christ being "made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30; it necessarily carries along with it, a taking of Christ for a Prophet, and a King, and Lord unto us; as such a one doth necessarily yield himself to the physician's management. In it one joins himself to Christ as his covenant head, who also is the Administrator of the covenant; and so subjects himself to his teaching and government. And it is such a way of covenanting, as no profane person, nor hypocrite, continuing so, ever did or can fall in with. For, (1.) It speaks a heart content to part with all sin, well pleased with Christ's whole salvation, whereof the principal part is to save his people from their sins, Matth. i. 21; whereas unsound covenanters are always offended with some one thing or other in Christ, chap. xi. 6. (2.) It speaks a soul carried out of all confidence in itself, its own working and doing for life and salvation, and bottomed only upon Christ's doing and suffering for that end. And thus, such a covenanter, being poor in spirit, Matth. v. 3, and rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3, is distinguished from the presumptuous hypocrite, whose confidence for life and salvation is ever upon his own doing and working, either in whole or in part; as also from the despairing unbeliever, who hath no confidence, neither in Christ, nor in himself that be shall have life and salvation, however he may believe firmly that others shall. So this faith, this covenanting, is quite another thing, than either the false faith of the presumptuous profane, and presumptuous hypocrite, or the no-faith of the desperate, or the wavering doubter, who can never fix in greater or lesser measure of confi

dence in Christ, for salvation to himself; Jam. i. 6, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed." Ver. 7, "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."

If any think this to be an easy way of believing or covenanting, either they mistake it, or try it not. To believe upon some ground we see in ourselves, is very natural, but to believe merely upon a ground in another, namely righteousness in Christ, and faithfulness in God, while all in ourselves tends to make us dispair, is above the reach of nature. A conscience thoroughly awakened, will convince a sinner, that it is a matter of greatest difficulty.

Inf. 2. Justifying faith, though it receives Christ in all his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King; yet as it enters us personally into the covenant, and justifies, it eyes him in his priestly office particularly; namely, as the great high priest, who hath made atonement for sin, by the sacrifice of himself; as the surety, who undertook and completed the payment of the debt of punishment and duty; and as the kinsman redeemer, who having married our nature to the divine nature in himself, redeemed the mortgaged inheritance with his own blood, gave himself a ransom for us, to deliver us from our spiritual bondage, and by his death destroyed him that had the power of death; Rom. iii. 25, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood." Chap. v. 11, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." The comfort for a wounded conscience, sick with the guilt of sin, lies here. This is that office of Christ to which the convinced sinner, standing trembling before the just Judge of the world, lifts his eyes and makes his recourse for safety for there, and only there, can one see a ransom, a righteousness, an atonement. In his prophetical and kingly office, he administrates the covenant; but in his priestly office, he performed the condition of it. So it is the foundation of the other two. It was by the sacrifice of himself, that the word and Spirit of the covenant, whereby he teacheth sinners, were purchased and thereby also he obtained his kingdom. And his intercession is founded upon his oblation. So his priestly office and that considered particularly in point of his offering his sacrifice, doth, as the foundation stone, bear the weight of the salvation of sinners, and of the honour of God and the Mediator therein. Wherefore it is not strange, that his investiture with the priestly office was confirmed by the oath of God; a solemnity not used in the case of his prophetical and kingly offices.

And thus far of the making of the covenant.

HEAD III.

THE PARTS OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE.

THE parts of the covenant of grace, being the things therein agreed upon betwixt God and Christ the second Adam, are two, to wit, the conditionary part, and the promissory part. These comprehend the whole of the covenant, and of them we shall treat in order.

The first part of the covenant, namely, the conditionary part. The condition of a covenant or bargain, properly and commonly so called, is, that part of a covenant or bargain, upon the performing of which one's right to the benefit promised is founded, and his plea for it is stated, as becoming due to him for his performance, according to, and in virtue of the agreement between the parties. This is a federal condition, a covenant-condition, or the condition of a covenant; and what all men, in common conversation understand by a condition of a covenant or bargain. As for instance, the paying of such a sum of money for such a commodity, according to the agreement between the parties, in the condition of a covenant of commerce, sale, or traffic: the working of such a piece of work, or doing of such a deed, for such a reward agreed upon by the parties, is the condition of a covenant of service on hire.

Besides this, there is also what is called a condition of connection or order in a covenant; whereby one thing necessarily goes before another, in the order of the covenant without being the ground upon which one's right and title to that other thing is founded. As in the former instances, the buyer's receiving of the commodity, and the hireling's receiving of the reward, covenanted or bargained for, must needs go before their profession or enjoyment of them; but it is evident, that that receiving is not the thing upon which the buyer's right and title to the commodity, or the hirling's right and title to the reward, is founded therefore, though it may be called a condition of connection in the respective covenants, yet it cannot, in any propriety of speech, be called the condition of them.

Now, to apply these things to our purpose: in the order of the covenant of grace, forasmuch as the having of the Spirit must go before faith, faith before justification, justification before sanctification, holiness before heaven's happiness; these may be called conditions in the covenant of grace, to wit, conditions of certain connection; and this belongs to the established order of the promises of the covenant, which are contradistinguished to the condition of the covenant. Howbeit such conditions can in no proper sense be