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never leave them to fall away from him, fo as to caft themselves out of covenant, and perish. Jer. xxxii. 49. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good but I will my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart from The faithful God himfelf, who cannot lye, and the Almighty God who is able to perform what he promifes, has engaged for their prefervation from ruining apoftacy. So that there is no danger, or poffibility of their total and final falling away from him and his grace. Though their graces be weak, their corrupions and temptations ftrong, yet they fhall persevere to the end in keeping covenant with God. I Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation.

Fefus Chrift, as their furety, has undertaken for their ftedfaftnefs in the covenant of God. Jefus Chrift is the furety of the better teftament or covenant, even the covenant of grace, Heb. vii. 22. and he is therein. the believers furety unto God. As their furety, he difcharges their debts for them, doing and fuffering all that for them, which the law and juftice of God required of them. And he is alfo furety for them, as tanding engaged for their performing all the articles of the covenant. He engages unto God that they shall keep covenant with him, and faithfully difcharge all covenant-duties towards him. Jefus Chrift therefore will fee to it, that they fhall not draw back unto perdition. They are given to him of the Father, and he will take the care of them. Fob. x. 28. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perifh, neither shall any pluck them out of my bands. All the powers of hell and earth, fhall not be able to deftroy them, for whofe falvation Jefus Chrift has undertaken.

APPLICATION.

USE I. We hence fee how much better the ftate of believers is, than that of Adam itself.... We can eafily

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conceive, that Adam was created in a good and happy condition. He was made perfectly finlefs and holy, and enjoyed the favour of God and communion with him. Nevertheless, he was not in fo fafe and happy an eftate, as believers now are. For that covenant made with him, in the keeping whereof he was to have been for ever happy, was not fo good and fure a covenant, as that which is now made with believers. The covenant of grace, which God makes with believers, is a better covenant, than the covenant of works made with Adam. Hence it is called a better covenant, which is established upon better promifes, Heb. viii. 6. In the covenant of works, God ftood bound but to do his own part, and Adam ftood bound to do his part in his own ftrength. God in that covenant undertook only for himself, and left Adam to fee to it that he fulfilled the duty required of him and being thus left to himself, he was liable to break covenant with God, and did fo. But now in the covenant of grace, it is quite otherwife. Here, God, and Chrift Jefus the mediator, undertakes for the believer, that he fhall perfevere to the end in keeping covenant. The believer is not left to ftand by his own ftrength; but has the power of God and of Chrift engaged for the upholding of him. So that he fhall never be uncovenanted, and mifs of the eternal blefiings made over in the covenant of grace. This is a covenant ordered in all things, and fure. Such order is therein taken, as to make eternal falvation fure, to all that heartily enter into it, with unfeigned faith. The weakest believer then is in a more fafe and excellent condition, than Adam was, even in his primitive state of innocency. For his life and happiness, are not in his own keeping; but in the hands and keeping of God the Father, and of Jefus Chrift, and of the holy Spirit. The whole Trinity in the Godhead are undertakers for the eternal felicity of the faints in Christ Jefus.

USE 2. Of Exhortation, in general, that all would labour after an intereft in the covenant of grace. This fhould be the great concern of every one of us. To excite and encourage hereunto, confider these things. Mot. 1. Until we are interested in the covenant of grace, we abide under the dreadful curfe of the covenant of works. Every man is under one or other of these covenants. Naturally we are all under the broken covenant of works. And in that condition we remain, until we are favingly interested in the covenant of grace. Now let us confider how fad our cafe is, while we are under the first covenant. While we are fo, we are under the curfe and damnation of that covenant. That covenant curfes every one that does not perfectly keep the law, that breaks it at any time in the leaft degree. Gal. iii. 10. As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Now inafmuch as we all broke the first covenant in Adam, and have in our own per fons been guilty of innumerable tranfgreffions of the law of God, we are therefore under the curfe of the law, and are every moment in danger of having it in flicted upon us to the uttermoft. We had need then make hafte to get out of this moft dangerous condition. For if we die and go out of the world in this eftate, we are undone for ever, and muft expect to have that most awful doom pafs upon us, Matth. xxv. 41. Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Mot. 2. Confider, God offers to take us into a covenant of grace with himself. All coat live under the gofpel, have granted to them, the gracious tender of a covenant of friendship with God. Yea, God in the moft condefcending manner makes this tender to us. He stoops fo low, as to intreat and befeech us, to enter into a covenant of reconciliation with himfelf. 2 Cor. v. 20. Now then we are ambasadors for Chrift, as though God did beseech you by us: We pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled

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reconciled to God. The infinitely great God, fends his ambassadors to us finners, to offer a treaty about peace with us, and to befeech us to come into a covenant of peace with himself. O what an encouragement is this unto all awakned finners; who are apt to be full of fears, whether God will any more be a friend to them, who have been fuch enemies to him! Well, but if you are willing to enter into a covenant of peace with God, you need not doubt of his willingness to make peace with you. He fends to you, and offers to come to an agreement with you; and if you are willing, the covenant of peace between him and you fhall be established for ever. And as for other finners, that as yet are under no concern, about coming into a covenant of reconciliation with God; let them confider, how God condefcends to wooe and befeech them, to make fuch a covenant with them. Shall the most high God fo far humble himself as to befeech you to make peace with him, and will you refufe to do it? If you do, what can you expect but that the Almighty God will be your eternal adverfary? and how fearful a thing will it be to fall into the hands of the living God? Such refolved finners, that reject all overtures of peace with God, and that perfift in their rebellions againft him, may do well to confider that tremendous oath of God, Deut. xxxii. 40, 41. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and fay, I live for ever: If I whet my glittering fword, and mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

Direct. 1. Let us break our league with fin. We have naturally a love for fin, and maintain a covenant of friendship with it. But if we would ever enter into a covenant of peace with God, we must break this covenant of friendfhip with fin. For we cannot poffibly be the friends of God, and the friends of fin too. Whofoever is a friend of fin, is the enemy of God. For he fides in with that which is the only enemy of God. We must therefore renounce the fervice of fin, if we would give up ourselves to God, to be his covenant-fer

vants. 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17. I will be their God, and they fball be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. We must live feparate from fin and finners, holding no intimate communion with them, if we would have God receive and own us for his people, and become a God unto us. O then, let us fay with Ephraim, What have I any more to do with Idols? Let us have no more to do with our former beloved fins. But let us repent of them, and watch, and strive, and pray against them, crying to God that he would not fuffer them to have any longer dominion over us.

Direct. 2. Let us do all we can in a way of duty. There are many things that we can do, by that common affiftance, which God grants to all, and wholly denies to none of us. Thus, we can ferioufly confider of the evil of fin; how hateful it is to the holy God, and how hurtful it will at last prove unto us, if continued in. We can confefs our fins to God, in their multitude, and greatnefs, and aggravations. We can reform many of our evil ways; abftain from many of thofe grofs fins we have been guilty of. We can pray daily to God, for pardon of fin, a participation in grace, an intereft in Chrift Jefus. We can read and hear the word of God with attention, and feriously ponder thereon. We can give alms, do good and fhew kindness to thofe that may be in need. These and many more fuch things, we can do, if we will. By our natural abilities, which God has given to us, and with his common help, we may do much, if we will, in order to our returning to God, and entring into a covenant of friendfhip with him. Now these things we fhould do; and if we do them not, it is not because we cannot, but because we will not, do them. And if we refufe to be found in the use of those means, which it is in our power to ule, how justly may God caft us off, and leave us to perifh in our distance from him? and how inexcufable fhall we be at the laft, if we die without a covenant-intereft in God? Direct

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