what fhall I fay? Father, fave me from this Hour; but for this Caufe came I (into the World) unto this Hour: As if he had faid, my Business is now not to fhrink from my Sufferings that are come upon. me; for thefe are the Things that are a great part of the Conditions contracted in the .Covenant which ftands between my Father and I; therefore I fhall not pray that this might be abfolutely removed from me: For this caufe came I into the World; even this was the very Terms of the Covenant. By this you may fay, We are under Grace.

Now in a Covenant there is these three Things to be confidered;

First, What it is that is covenanted for.

Secondly, The Conditions, upon which the Perfons who were concerned in it, do agree.

Thirdly, If the Conditions on both Sides be not according to the Agreement fulfilled, then the Covenant ftandeth not, but is made void.

And this new Covenant, in thefe particulars, is very exactly fulfilled, and made out in Chrift.

I

First, The thing or things covenanted for was the Salvation of Man, but made good int Chrift. The Son of Man is come to feck and fave that which was loft. The Son of Man did not come to destroy Mens Lives, but to fave them. gave my Life a Ransom for many. And this is the Will (or Covenant) of him that fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lofe mothing; but fhould raise it up again at the last Day, John 6. 39.

Secondly, As touching the Conditions agreed on, they run thus:

First, On the Mediator's fide, that he fhou'd come into the World; and then on the Father's fide, that he fhould give him a Body. This was one of the glorious Conditions between the Father and Chrift. Wherefore when he cometh into the World, he faith, Sacrifices and Offerings thou wouldeft not that is the Old Covenant must not ftand, but give way to another Sacrifice which thou haft prepared, which is the giving up my Manhood to the Strokes of thy Justice, for a Body, haft thou prepared me, Heb. 13. 20, 21. This doth prove us under Grace.

Secondly, On the Mediator's fide, that he fhould be put to Death; and on God the Father's fide, that he fhould raife him up again; this was concluded on alfo to be done between God the Father, and his Son Jefus Chrift. On Chrift's fide, that he fhould die to give the Juftice of the Father Satisfaction, and fo to take away the Curfe that was due to wretched Sinners, by reafon of our Tranfgreffions and that God his Father, being every ways fully and compleatly fatisfied, fhould by his mighty Power revive and raife him up again. He hath brought again ur Lord Jesus; that is, from Death to Life, through (the Vertue or effectual Satisfaction that he received from) the Blood (that was fhed according to the Terms) of the everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13. 21, 22.

:

Thirdly, On the Mediator's fide, that he should be made a Curfe; and on the Father's fide, that through him Sinners fhould be Inheritors of the Bleffing; what wonderful Love doth there appear by this in the Heart of our Lord Jefus, in fuffering fuch things for our poor Bodies and Souls ? Gal. 3. 13, 14. This is Grace.

Fourthly,

Fourthly, That on the Mediator's fide, there fhould be by him a Victory over Hell, Death, and the Devil, and the Curfe of the Law; and on the Father's fide, that thefe fhould be Communicated to Sinners, and they fet at Liberty thereby, Zech. 9. 10. Turn to the ftrong Hold, faith' God, ye Prisoners of Hope, even to Day do I declare that Iwil render double unto thee. Why fo? It is because of the Blood of my Son's Covenant, Verse i. Which made Paul (though fenfible of a Body Death, and of the Sting of that Death did ftrike into the Souls of all thofe that are found in their Sins) bold to fay, O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? The Sting of Death is Sin; that is true, and the terrible Law of God doth aggravate, and fet it home with unfupportable Torment and Pain. But fhall I be daunted at this? No, I thank my God through Jefus Chrift, he hath given me the Victory; fo that now, though I be a Sinner in my felf, yet I can by believing in Jefus Chrift the Mediator of this New Covenant, Triumph over the Devil, Sin, Death and Hell; and fay, Do not fear, my Soul, feeing the Victory is ob-. tained over all my Enemies through my Lord Jefus, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56, 57. This is the way to prove our felves under Grace.

* Fifthly, That on the Mediator's fide he should by thus doing, bring in everlasting Righteoufnefs for Saints, Dan. 9. 24. And that the Father for this, thould give them an everlasting Kingdom, 1 Pet. 1. 3, 4, 5. Ephef. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Luke 22. 28, 29.

But

* Chrift is put into Office by the Father, to do all things contained in the new Covenant.

*But in the next Place, this was not all; that is, the Covenant of Grace, with the Conditions thereof, was not only concluded on by both Parties to be done, but Jefus Chrift he must be authorized to do what was concluded on, touching this Covenant by way of Office. I fhall therefore ípeak a Word or two alfo, touching the Offices, (at leaft fome of them) that Chrift Jefus did, and doth ftill execute as the Mediator of the New Covenant, which alfo was typed out by the Levitical Law; for this is the way to prove that we are not under the Law but under Grace.

*And firft, His firft Office, after * His Suret ship the Covenant was made and concluded upon, was, that Jefus fhould become bound as a Surety, and stand engaged upon Oath, to see that all the Conditions of the Covenant, that was concluded on between him and his Father, fhould according to the Agreement, be accomplished by him. And fecondly, That after that, he should be the Meflenger from God to the World, for to declare the Mind of God, touching the Tenor and Nature of both the Covenants, especially of the New one; the Scripture faith, That Jefus Chrift was not only made a Priest by an Oath, but alfo a Surety, or Ponds-man; as in the 7th of Hebrews, at the 21st and 22d Verjes: In the 21ft Verfe, he fpeaketh of the Priesthood of Chrift, that it was with an Oath; and faith in the 22d Verfe, By fo much (alfo) was Jefus made the Surety of a better Teftament (or Covenant.)

Now the Covenant was not only made on Jefus Chrift's Side with an Oath, but also on God the Father's Side, that it might be for the better ground

ground of Establishment to all thofe that are, or are to be the Children of Promife. Methinks it is wonderful to confider, that the God and Father of our Souls, by Jefus Christ, should be fo bent upon the Salvation of Sinners, that he would covenant with his Son Jefus for the Security of them; and alfo that there fhould pafs an Oath on both Sides, for the Confirmation of their Refolution to do good; as if the Lord had faid, My Son, thou and I have here made a Covenant, that I, on my Part, fhould do thus, and thus; and that thou on thy part fhouldeft do fo and fo: Now that we may give these Souls the best Ground of Comfort that may be, there fhall pafs an Oath on both Sides, that our Children may fee that we do indeed love them. Wherein God, willing more ABUNDANTLY to fhew unto the Heirs of Promife, the Immutability of his Counsel (in making of the Covenant) confirmed it by an Oath That we might have strong Confolation, who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us, Heb. 6. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Heb. 7. 21. Mark the fixth Chapter faith God confirmed his Part by an Oath; and the feventh faith, Christ was made, or fet on his Office alfo by an Oath. Again, Once (faith God) have I fworn by my Ho inefs, that I will not lie unto David, (Pfal. 89. 34, 35.) nor alter the Thing that is gone out of my Mouth; as was before cited.

Herein you may fee that God and Christ was in good earnest about the Salvation of Sinners ; for fo foon as ever the Covenant was made, the next thing was, who should be bound to fee all thofe things fulfilled' which was conditioned on, between the Father and the Son: The Angels,

they