nament of the covenant, the excellency and sweetness of it: he is the blessing of all the blessings of the covenant: the mercy of all the mercies: the soul of all the privileges of the covenant: no blessing of the covenant is a blessing without him, for all the blessings come with him; "How shall he not with him freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. The covenant is nothing without Christ, the blessings of it are nothing without Christ; he is the sweetness of all the blessings of the covenant, the marrow of all the mercies of the covenant, and the fulness of all the promises of the covenant; they are all empty without Christ, for he is ALL IN ALL. And therefore, O empty ordinances, without Christ; O empty sacraments, if Christ be not there; O empty ministers, if Christ be not with them; yea, O empty heaven, if Christ be not there; empty enjoyments, empty comforts without Christ.

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5. Christ is the covenant meritoriously, and in point of acquisition and procurement. He does all that is necessary for the procuring the blessings of the covenant: his righteousness is the great condition of the covenant, the alone condition of it, properly so called; it is the cause, the procuring cause of all covenant-blessings. AN that is promised to Christ, or to us, is upon the account. of his obedience; Isa. liii. 10, 11, 12. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous:" not by the òbedience of any man for himself, Rom. v. 19. He is. the procurer of justification, Rom, v. 18.; the procurer of remission of sin, Rom. iii. 24.; the procurer of peace, Isa. liii. 4.; yea, the sum of it, or, "He is our peace;" the procurer of our access to God, and communion with him; all that are afar off are made nigh, only by the blood of Christ; the procurer of sanctifying grace, Isa. liii. 10. 1 Cor. i. 30. and of eternal salvation; his death is the purchase of the heavenly inheritance; and so he is the covenant meritoriously, in procuring all the blessings thereof.

6. Christ is the covenant efficaciously, or efficiently as he procures all by the price of his blood, so he applies all by the power of his spirit. By this powerful spirit of his, in the efficiency of his application, by the means of the law, he discovers to men their sad condition,

while under a covenant of works; by the means of the gospel he discovers the excellencies of the covenant of grace, and also their claim to it, in and by the indefinite general dispensation of the gospel, and the promise of the covenant; so that whoever will, may come and put in for a share. But this is not all; Christ, in his efficiency, does persuade and enable the poor soul to take hold of this covenant, of Christ himself as the ALL of the covenant and that with particular application, to itself, for its own relief: and not only to accept, but to trust to it for all grace and life, and that upon the warrant of God's word of grace, renouncing all other ways of salvation, and resting only upon this, 1 Tim. i. 15. Acts xvi. 6. Yea, after the person is brought within the covenant, Christ is the great performer of all covenant-duties: he performs all our works in us, Isa. xxvi. 12. We are to present no duty of our own to God for acceptance, or in order to obtain life and salvation by it: but to present him with Christ, he being the covenant to perform all for us and in us, which we are obliged to. In a word he is engaged as the covenant of the people, to be all, and do all; to procure all, and to see all made effectual that concerns grace and glory: "I will give him for a covenant of the people," says the Lord. I will not enter into covenant, or deal with them in an immediate way, as with the first Adam, but I will take a surer course, I will give thee for that end; thou shalt undertake all the matter therein; I will look to thee for the performance thereof. Man hath broken covenant; I will not trust him again; but thou shalt be the covenant: the promise of life shall be made only in thee, and the condition of life shall be found only in thee Thus he is the covenant.

III. The Third thing was, to shew, For whose benefit he is a covenant; and so to shew that he is the covenant of the people. Men and women have a way of excluding themselves by unbelief; but I am sure my text will exclude none this day, that are here, from a right to accept of this covenant, unless it be the devil himself. He indeed and all the fallen angels, are excluded; and no doubt he is come here among us this day, to tempt`

people to exclude themselves, because he himself is excluded. But here is a foundation of faith for all the people that hear this gospel; Christ is the covenant of the people, insomuch that whosoever of all the people will subscribe to this covenant, and go into it by faith, shall have the everlasting benefit of it.

QUEST. Why, say you, I am, it may be, none of the people here meant, none of the elect whose names are in that covenant and contract, and therefore my subscribing of it may be in vain. Answ. For the clearing of this, That Christ is the covenant of the people, you would know and remember, That there are two copies of this covenant; or rather if we may so express it, two writs of this charter, the one is an original, written in heaven; and the other an extract, written in this Bible. 1. I say, as to the original, it is written in heaven, and hath all the names of the church invisible inrolled in it. Heb. xii. 23. they are called the church of the first-born that are written in heaven. In this writing are the names of all the elect, of all that ever were, are, or shall be actually taken within the bond of the covenant; and these are they of whom it is said, "They are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. And again, "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called," Rom. viii. 30. And again, "All that the Father hath given me, shall come to me;" and, "All that were ordained to eternal life, believed." And of them, Christ says, "I lay down my life for my sheep." This original draught of the covenant, is a writ locked up in the cabinet of God's secret purpose; and secret things belong not to us, but the things that are revealed; therefore, 2. There is an extract of this original writ, and this extract is written in the Bible, which is the book of the covenant: this you have among your hands; and this copy of the covenant is sent open to you all to sign and subscribe, by giving faith's assent and consent to the covenant, or closing with Christ, the covenant of the people, as he is offered in the gospel. Now, though this extract be a true copy, answering exactly to the original; yet, for rendering all inexcusable, to whom these presents are sent, if they do not subscribe, and for ga

thering in all the elect, this fair extract is directed to all, and every one of you, giving you full and sufficient warrant to sign and subscribe for yourselves; for you cannot possibly see your names in the original, till once you have signed your consent, by subscription, to the copy that is among your hands, which is here let down on the earth, to see how you please it, this day. And if you sign the extract, as it is sent to you, then you may lay claim to the original, and see your name there, which alone is the privilege of these that make the extract their own by signing it; for, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant." He shews them sometimes their name in the original writ of the covenant. It is the settled order of heaven, that although some, who, by faith, subscribe the extracted copy, are kept in the dark about their names being in the original; yet none shall see their names there, but these who subscribe their names here.

QUEST. But, for what purpose serves my putting my name to the foot of a bond, if my name be not in the bond itself? Why, then, read the direction of this gospel-covenant, and see if your names be there, and answer to your names; for I shall endeavour to be as practical, as I go along, as possible, that I may have the less to do in the application. For whose benefit then is he thus the covenant? Why, it is even for the advantage of these whose names are here set down; and though they may not here find their particular names, John, James, Mary, Martha, yet their general names; yea, both their more general and more special names are here.

1. Their more general name is, the people; he is the covenant of the people: and here all sinners of mankind, who hear of Christ, have a claim to put in for a share in him, seeing the covenant is directed to them; whosoever they be that hear this gospel, all saving benefits are preached to them by Jesus Christ, according to the ministerial commission, saying, "To you is the word of this salvation sent," Acts xiii. 26. And in this sense the apostle says, Titus ii. 11. The grace of God that

bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men :" or, as it may be rendered, as you see it in the margin of some of your Bibles, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared." Let them straiten the gospel-offer who will, they do it at their peril; our commission is wide and full, insomuch that this covenant is directed to all to whom these presents may come. If this be your general name, that you are one of the people, be what you will otherwise, then you are concerned to answer to your name, and put in for a share of the grace of this covenant by subscribing and saying Amen to it. Why, say you, that is a general name indeed; I dare not deny but that is my general name; then man, woman, do not put that covenant from you. But, say you, Is there no more special name of the people, whose covenant he is? Yea,

2. Their more special name is here set down in black and white; for, who the people are, what people in a special manner is here meant, is cleared in the following words, "A light to the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, out of the prison-house." And here you will find both the name and sirname of the people intended; and I believe your names and sirnames, that hear me, will be found in it. 1. The name is Gentile. 2. The sirname is, Gentile, dark and blind; Gentile, bound and imprisoned.

(1.) I say, the name of the people, whose covenant he is, is Gentiles; and, I suppose, this is the name of all that hear me, if there be not Jews here: if I thought there were any, I would drop some promise of Christ to and concerning them that might draw him to them also, if the Lord would put forth power with it. However it is to you, Gentiles, that I am speaking; and, O may I venture to say with Paul this day, "To me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, to preach among you, Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ!" This is a part of the mystery of godliness, Christ preached to the Gentiles, 1 Tim. iii. 16. It was a mystery to the Jews and primitive Christians, when Christ was first given by a preached gospel to the Gentiles,