"law of the spirit of life," or the covenant of grace, "hath made (( me free from the law of fun and death," or covenant of works.

4. That the fountain and first ground, from whence our freedom from the curfe of the law doth flow, is the covenant of redemption, paft betwixt God and God the Son as incarnate, wherein Chrift takes the curfe of the law upon him for fin, that the believer, who could not otherwife be delivered from the covenant of works, may be delivered from it. And this doctrine the Apostle holdeth forth in these four branches: (1.) That it was utterly impoffible for the law, or the covenant of works, to bring righteoufnefs and life to a finner, becaufe it was weak. (2.) That this weakness and inability of the law, or covenant of works, is not the fault of the law, but the fault of finful flesh, which is neither able to pay the penalty of fin, nor to give perfect obedience to the law, (prefuppofe bygone fins were forgiven:) "The law was weak," faith he, "through the flesh." (3.) That the righteoufnefs and falvation of finners, which was impoffible to be brought about by the law, is brought to pafs by fending God's own Son, Jefus Chrift, in the flesh, in whofe flesh fin is condemned and punished, for making fatisfaction in the behalf of the elect, that they might be fet free. (4.) That, by his means, the law lofeth nothing, because the righteoufnefs of the law is beft fulfilled this way; firft, by Christ's giving perfect active obedience in our name unto it in all things: next, by his paying in our name the penalty (due to our fins) in his death: And lastly, by his working of fancti"fication in us, who are true believers, who ftrive to give new obedience unto the law, and "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

F

WARRANTS

TO BELIEVE.

OR building our confidence upon this folid ground, these four warrants and fpecial motives to believe in Chrift may ferve.

The firft whereof is God's hearty invitation, holden forth, If. lv. 1. 2. 3.4.5.

Ho, every one that thirfleth, come ye to the waters, and he that bath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Verf. 2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which fatisficth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your foul delight itself in fainefs. Verf. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your foul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. Verf. 4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people, &c.

Here (after fetting down the precious ranfom of our redemption by the fufferings of Chrift, and the rich bleffings purchased to us thereby, in the two former chapters) the Lord, in this chapter,

1. Maketh

1. Maketh open offer of Chrift and his grace, by proclamation of a free and gracious market of righteoufnefs and falvation, to be had through Chrift to every foul, without exception, that truly defires to be faved from fin and wrath: "Ho, every one that thirfteth," faith

he.

2. He inviteth all finners, that for any reafon stand at distance with God, to come and take from him riches of grace, running in Christ as a river, to wash away fin, and to flocken wrath: "Come ye to the waters," faith he.

3. Left any fhould stand aback, in the fenfe of his own finfulness or unworthiness, and inability to do any good, the Lord calleth upon fuch perfons in fpecial, faying, "He that hath no money, come.'

4. He craveth no more of his merchant, but that he be pleafed with the wares offered, which are grace, and more grace; and that he heartily confent unto, and embrace this offer of grace, that fo he may close a bargain, and a formal covenant with God; "Come, buy "without money," faith he, "come, eat:" That is, confent to have, and take unto you all faving graces; make the wares your own, poffefs them, and make ufe of all bleffings in Chrift; whatsoever ma keth for your fpiritual life and comfort, ufe and enjoy it freely, without paying any thing for it: "Come, buy wine and milk with out money, and without price," faith he.

5. Because the Lord knoweth how much we are inclined to feek righteoufnefs and life by our own performances and fatisfaction, to have righteousness and life as it were by the way of works; and how loth we are to embrace Chrift Jefus, and to take life by way of free grace through Jefus Chrift, upon the terms whereupon it is offered to us: Therefore the Lord lovingly calls us off this our crooked and unhappy way, with a gentle and timeous admonition, giving us to understand, that we fhall but lofe our labour in this our way: "Wherefore do ye fpend your money (faith he) for that which is "not bread? and your labour for that which fatisfieth not?" 6. The Lord promiseth to us folid fatisfaction, in the way af betaking ourfelves unto the grace of Chrift, even true contentment, and fulness of spiritual pleasure, faying, "Hearken diligently unto "me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your foul delight itself

"in fatnefs,'

"

7. Because faith cometh by hearing, he calleth for audience unto the explication of the offer, and calleth for believing of, and liften. ing unto the truth, which is able to beget the application of faving faith, and to draw the foul to trust in God: "Incline your ear, and "come unto me," faith he. To which end, the Lord promifes, that this offer being received, fhall quicken the dead finner; and that, upon the welcoming of this offer, he will close the covenant of grace with the man that fhall confent unto it, even an indiffolvable cove nant of perpetual reconciliation and peace: "Hearken, and your "foul fhall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you." Which covenant, he declareth, shall be in fubftance the affignation, and the making over, of all the faving graces which David (who is Jefus Chrift, Acts xiii. 34.) hath bought for us in the covenant of re

demption

even

demption: "I will make a covenant with you," faith he, "the fure mercies of David." By fure mercies, he means faving graces, fuch as are righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, adoption, fanctification, and glorification, and whatsoever belongs to godliness and life eternal.

8. To confirm and affure us of the real grant of these saving mercies, and to perfuade us of the reality of the covenant betwixt God and the believer of this word, the Father hath made a fourfold gift of his eternal and only begotten Son:

Firft, To be incarnate and born for our fake, of the feed of David his type; for which cause he is called here, and Acts xiii. 34. DAVID, the true and everlafting King of Ifrael. This is the great gift of God to man, John iv. 10. And here, I have given him to be David, or born of David, to the people.

Secondly, He hath made a gift of Chrift to be a witness to the people, both of the fure and faving mercies granted to the redeemed in the covenant of redemption; and alfo of the Father's willingnefs and pupose to apply them, and to make them faft in the covenant of reconciliation, made with fuch as embrace the offer: “ I “have given him" (faith the Lord here)" to be a witness to the "people." And truly he is a fufficient witness in this matter, in many refpects: 1ft, Because he is one of the bleffed Trinity, and party-contracter for us, in the covenant of redemption, before the world was. 2dly, He is by office, as Mediator, the Meflenger of the covenant, and hath gotten commiffion to reveal it. 3dly, He began actually to reveal it in Paradise, where he promised, that the feed of the woman fhould bruise the head of the serpent. 4thly, He fet forth his own death and fufferings, and the great benefits that should come thereby to us, in the types and figures of facrifices and ceremonies before his coming. 5thly, He gave more and more light about this co venant, fpeaking by his Spirit, from age to age, in the holy Prophets. 6thly, He came himself, in the fulness of time, and did bear witness of all things belonging to this covenant, and of God's willing mind to take believers into it; partly by uniting our nature in one perfon with the divine nature; partly by preaching the good tidings of the covenant with his own mouth; partly by paying the price of redemption on the crofs; and partly by dealing ftill with the people, from the beginning to this day, to draw in, and to hold in the redeemed in this covenant.

Thirdly, God hath made a gift of Chrift, as a leader to the people, to bring us through all difficulties, all afflictions and temptations, unto life, by this covenant: And he it is, and no other, who doth indeed lead his own unto the covenant; and, in the covenant, all the way on unto falvation: 1. By the direction of his word and Spirit. 2. By the example of his own life, in faith and obedience, even to the death of the crofs. 3. By his powerful working, bearing his redeemed ones in his arms, and caufing them to lean on him, while they go up through the wilderness.

Fourthly, God hath made a gift of Chrift unto his people, as a commander: which office he faithfully exerciseh, by giving to his kirk

and

and people, laws and ordinances, paftors and governors, and all neceffary officers; by keeping courts and aflemblies among them, to fee that his laws be obeyed; fubduing, by his word, Spirit, and discipfine, his peoples corruptions; and, by his wifdom and power, guarding them against all their enemies whatsoever.

Hence he who hath closed bargain with God, may strengthen his faith, by reafoning after this manner :

"Whofoever doth heartily receive the offer of free grace, made "here to finners, thirfting for righteousness and falvation; unte * him, by an everlasting covenant, belongeth Chrift, the true David, "with all his fure and faving mercies.

"But I (may the weak believer fay) do heartily receive the offer "of free grace made here to funners, thirfting for righteoufnefs and "falvation.

"Therefore unto me, by an everlafting covenant, belongeth Christ Jefus, with all his fure and faving mercies."

The fecond warrant and special motive to embrace Chrift, and believe in him, is the earnest request that God maketh to us to be reconciled to him in Chrift, holden forth, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20, 21.

on.

God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them; and hath committed unto us the ward of reconciliatiVerf. 20. Now then we are ambassadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us we pray you in Chrifl's fead, be ye reconciled to God. Verf. 21. For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Wherein the Apostle teacheth us thefe nine doctrines:

First, That the elect world, or world of redeemed fouls, are by nature in the estate of enmity against God: This is prefuppofed in the word reconciliation; for reconciliation, or renewing of friendship, cannot be, except betwixt those that have been at enmity.

Second, That in all the time bypaft, fince the fall of Adam, Christ Jefus, the eternal Son of God, as Mediator, and the Father in him, hath been about the making friendship (by his word and Spirit) betwixt himself and the elect world: "God," faith he, "was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself."

Third, That the way of reconciliation was in all ages one and the fame in fubftance, viz. by forgiving the fins of them, who do acknowledge their fins and their enmity against God, and do feek reconciliation and remiffion of fins in Chrift: "For God," faith he, "was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself," by way of "not imputing their trefpaffes unto them."

Fourth, That the end and fcope of the gofpel, and whole word of God, is threefold: 1. It ferveth to make people fenfible of their fins, and of their enmity against God, and of their danger, if they fhould ftand out, and not fear God's difpleasure. 2. The word of God ferveth to make men acquainted with the courfe which God hath prepared for making friendship with them through Christ, viz. That if men fhall acknowledge the enmity and fhall be content to enter into

a covenant of friendship with God, through Chrift, then God will be content to be reconciled with them freely. 3. The word of God ferveth to teach men how to carry themfelves towards God, as friends, after they are reconciled to him, viz. to be loth to fin against him, and to ftrive heartily to obey his commandments: and therefore the word of God here is called the word of reconciliation, because it teacheth us what need we have of reconciliation, and how to make it, and how to keep the reconciliation or friendship, being made with God through Chrift.

Fifth, That albeit the hearing, believing, and obeying of this word, doth belong to all thofe to whom this goipel doth come; yet the office of preaching of it, with authority, belongeth to none, but to fuch only as God doth call to his miniftry, and fendeth out with commiffion for this work. This the Apostle holdeth forth, verf. 19. in these words, "He hath committed to us the word of reconciliation."

Sixth, That the minifters of the gospel fhould behave themfelves as Chrift's meffengers, and fhould clofely follow their commiffion fet down in the word, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20.,and, when they do fo, they fhould be received by the people as Ambafladors from God; for here the Apostle, in all their names, faith, "We are Ambaffadors for "Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us."

Seventh, That minifters, in all earneftnefs of affections, fhould deal with people to acknowledge their fins, and their natural enmity against God, more and more feriously; and to confent to the covenant of grace and emballage of Chrift more and more heartily; and to evidence more and more clearly their reconciliation, by a holy carriage before God. This he holdeth forth, when he faith, "We pray you be reconciled to God.”

Eight, That in the minifters affectionate dealing with the people, the people fhould confider that they have to do with God and Chrift, requesting them, by the ministers, to be reconciled: Now, there cannot be a greater inducement to break a finner's hard heart, than God's making a request to him for friendship; for when it became us, who have done fo many wrongs to God, to feek friendship of God, he preventeth us: and (O wonder of wonders!) he requefteth us to be content to be reconciled to him; and therefore moft fearful wrath must abide them who do fet light by this request, and do not yield when they hear minifters with commiffion, faying, "We are ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you, in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God."

Ninth, To make it appear, how it cometh to pass that the covenant of reconciliation fhould be fo eafily made up betwixt God and a humble finner fleeing to Christ, the Apoftle leads us unto the caufe of it, holden forth in the covenant of redemption, the fum whereof is this: "It is agreed betwixt God and the Mediator Jefus Christ the <. Son of God, furety for the redeemed, as parties-contracters, that the fins of the redeemed fhould be imputed to innocent Chrift, << and he both condemned and put to death for them, upon this very << condition, that whofoever heartily confents unto the covenant of Feconciliation offered through Chrift, fhall, by the imputation of