1 it only upon this ground-the respect he hath to the covenant, and plead upon this argument. The method we would observe, as the Lord shall assist, for briefly handling this subject, shall be the following: I. Show what covenant it is he will have a respect to. V Why he hath respect to it; and so, why it is a suitable plea and argument in suing for mercy. VI. Make some application of the whole. I. We are, then, first, to show what covenant it is he will have a respect to. The covenant here spoken of is the covenant of grace and promise, made in Christ Jesus before the world began, and published in the gospel to sinners: "And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and of their children after them; and I will make an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." (Jer. xxxii. 39, 40.) "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezek. xxxvi. 26.) 'But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will he their God, and they shall be my people." (Jer. xxxi. 33. See also Psalm 1xxxix. throughout.) It is called a covenant of grace, because grace is the beginning and the end, the foundation and top-stone of it: even grace reigning through righteousness. It is called a covenant of mercy; because therein mercy to the miserable is proclaimed through justice-satisfying blood; for there mercy and truth meet together; and all the sure mercies of David are conveyed thereby. It is called a covenant of peace and reconciliation, because it both treats of peace with God and makes it good. It is called a covenant of promise, because it lies in promises with reference to us; and these to be accomplished upon the condition already fulfilled in Christ's obedience and satisfaction; and because therein the faithfulness of God is pledged for making sure all the promises to believers, the children of promise. It is called a covenant of salt, because it is an incorruptible word "An everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure." In a word, it is a covenant of help to poor, helpless sinners, saying, "I have laid help upon One that is mighty. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help.' It is a covenant of pardon to the guilty, saying, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and I will not : 66 remember thy sins." It is a covenant of supply to the needy, saying, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." It is a covenant of gifts, wherein grace and glory are freely given; and in the dispensation thereof God says, Come, and take all freely Himself, his Christ, his Spirit, and all. (Rev. xxii, 17; Isa. lv. 1.) II. We are to show what it is for God to have respect to the covenant. 1. God hath respect to the covenant when he remembers it, and so remembers us, as in that forecited. (Lev. xxvi. 24.) "I will remember my covenant, and then will I remember the land." Thus, “He hath given meat to them that fear him." (Psal. cxi. 5.) Why?" He will ever be mindful of his covenant." If he come to give us meat to feed our souls on this occasion, the ground will be, he will be mindful of his covenant, mindful of his promise. 2. God may be said to have respect to his covenant when he regards it. He hath no reason to have respect or regard to us, but he sees reason to have regard to his covenant; he puts honour upon it, for reasons that I shall afterwards show, only I will say here, his honour is engaged therein; therefore he says, "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." (Psal. Ixxxix. 34.) He hath more regard to it than he hath to heaven and earth; for he says, “ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." He hath such a regard to it that he will never break it, but ever keep it. 3. He hath respect to his covenant when he establishes it. And when we pray that he would have respect to the covenant, we not only pray he would remember the covenant, and regard the covenant, but establish the covenant betwixt him and us, as he said to Abraham, I will establish it between me and thee, and thy seed after thee." (Gen. xvii. 7.) 66 4. He shows respect to the covenant when he makes the covenant take hold of us, and makes us take hold of the covenant; for then he makes us put respect upon him and upon his covenant. 5. He hath respect to the covenant when he performs the covenant-promises according to Mic. vii. 20: "Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old ;" and he does this when he acts according to the covenant, or according to the mercy that made the promise, and the truth that is engaged to make out the promise. In short, the sum of this prayer, as it concerns the import of the word respect, "Have respect to the covenant," is, "Lord, remember the covenant, and so remember me; Lord, have regard to the covenant, and let me be remembered on this ground when there is no other reason why I should be regarded; Lord, establish thy covenant with me, and so put honour upon thy name manifested in that covenant, and. do to me according to the promise of the covenant. Cause me to hope in thy word, and then remember the word on which thou hast caused me to hope; and deal with me, not according to my sin and desért, but according to thy covenant and mercy in Christ Jesus." III. We are next to show what it is in the covenant he hath respect to, or that we should plead upon. 1. 66 Have respect to the covenant;" that is, to the Mediator of the covenant. Though thou owest no respect to me, yet dost thou not owe respect, and hast thou not a great respect, to the Mediator of the covenant, to Christ, whom thou hast given to be a covenant of the people? For his sake let me be pitied; have respect to the relation he bears to the covenant, even to him who is the Mediator, Testator, Witness, Messenger, Surety, and All of the covenant. Have respect to his offices, and let him get the glory of his saving offices. It is a strong plea to plead with God upon the respect he bears to Christ; God cannot win over such a plea as that. He must own his regard and respect to Christ, who paid such respect to him; and finished the work he gave him to do. 2. " Have respect to the covenant," by having respect to the blood of the covenant. The blood of Christ, that is represented in the sacrament of the supper, is the blood of the covenant, called the New Testament in his blood, because, all the promises are sealed therein, and so yea and 'amen in Christ." This is the condition of the new covenant. The covenant of works had only the active obedience of the first Adam for its condition; but the condition of the covenant of grace properly, is both the active and passive obedience of the Second Adam-his doing and dying. Now, Lord, have respect to that blood that sealed the covenant; since the condition is fulfilled to thy infinite satisfaction, let the promised good be conferred upon me. 3. "Have respect to the covenant," by having respect to the oath of the covenant. The promise is confirmed with the oath of God: "That by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation," &c. (Heb. vi. 17.) Now, Lord, wilt thou not have respect to thine own oath? Hast thou not sworn by thy holiness, thou wilt not lie unto David? 4. "Have respect to the covenant," by having a respect to the properties of the covenant. This would be a large field. I sum it in a few words. Have respect to the covenant; that is, Lord, have respect to the fulness of the covenant, and let me be supplied, for there is enough there; it contains all my salvation and all my up desire. Have respect to the freedom of the covenant, and let me, however unworthy, share the grace that runs freely thence. Have respect to the stability of the covenant, and let me be pitied; though unstable as water, and infirm, yet the covenant stands fast. Remem ber thy word that endures for ever. Have respect to the order of the covenant, that is well ordered in all things, as well as sure: "Though my house be not so with God," says David, "yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure." Though my house be out of order, and my heart out of order, and my frame out of order, and all be in confusion with me, yet, see, according to thy covenant, to order all well. IV. We proceed to show what kind of a respect he hath to the covenant, that we may be the more engaged to plead upon it... 1. He hath a great and high respect to the covenant. It is the covenant of the great God with his great and eternal Son, for the honour and glory of his great name; and therefore he cannot but have a great and high respect unto it. His great name is manifested in it; and therefore, when we plead his respect to the covenant, we plead, in effect, saying, "What wilt thou do for thy great name?". 2. He hath a dear and lovely respect to the covenant; for it is the covenant of his grace and love, wherein he shows his infinite love to Christ, and through him to a company of wretched sinners. It is a covenant of kindness: " My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath merey on thee;" (Isa. liv. 10;) intimating that his covenant of peace is a covenant of kindness, wherein he manifests his dearest love; therefore he hath a dear respect to it. 3. He hath a full respect to the covenant, a respect to every promise of it. They are all yea and amen, to the glory of God. (2 Cor. i. 20.) He hath a respect to all of them, because they are all yea and amen, and because they are all ratified in Christ to the glory of God. He hath a respect to every article of the covenant: " Not a jot shall fall to the ground." 4. He hath an everlasting respect to the covenant; therefore it is called an everlasting covenant; it is secured by an everlasting righteousness; it is made between everlasting parties; it is replenished with everlasting blessings; it is rooted in his everlasting love; therefore he is ever mindful of his covenant, and will never cease to have a respect to it. Well then, say you, why need we pray and plead that he would have respect to his covenant? Why, if it be sure that he hath, and will for ever have, a respect to the covenant, then we may pray with the more assurance and confidence; so that there is here strong footing for our prayer; but, besides, when we pray, and say, "Have respect unto the covenant," we seek that he would show the respect that he hath unto it, that he would show and make it manifest unto us, that we may have the faith of it, and enjoy the fruits of it, and the blessed effects of that respect to it, in our participations of the blessings thereof. (To be concluded in our next.) THE CHOSEN GENERATION AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, WITH THEIR TRUE MARKS AND CHARACTERS. BY CHRISTOPHER COB. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (Peter ii. 9.) (Continued from page 14.) II. A Royal Priesthood. Royal, of the royal blood, born of God, sprung from that stock and kindred. And hence three great privileges belong to them as they are manifested from time to time to their souls: 66 the You 1. They can go to God as those that have an interest in him; they go as to a Father, and not as to a Judge. The promise is to Christ, and so to all the seed. He shall say, "My Father, my Father!" And Christ says to his disciples, who were of this royal priesthood, when you pray, say, "Our Father." All must go to him as "our Lord," and bow before their Judge; but this priesthood has an interest in him, as being of that royal race, sprung out of his own heart and bowels. If you had but the knowledge of your interest in this Father, certainly you could not hold your peace, you could not be kept off from going and making your requests known to him. 66 If thou hadst known," saith Christ to the woman, gift of God, thou wouldst have asked of him living water." could not but pray, and tell him your wants, griefs, and sorrows; for you may go to him on this ground: "He is my Father." that you did but know, and weigh, and consider whether indeed your lot be fallen in so good a ground! We would be taught to pray any ways rather than to pray thus: "Our Father;" as thé disciples ask of Christ, "Teach us to pray." But how? "As John taught his disciples." Why, how was that? John could show his disciples their wants, their misery, and their ruin; and could point to the Lamb of God, that this was he "which taketh away the sins of the world;" that relief was only to be had and expected there. But John could not tell them, "This is your portion, God is your Father, all this is for you." No; this is the witness which Christ is to bear forth, which is greater than the witness of John. He tells them, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;" and also, "The Father himself loveth you;" and therefore he teaches them to pray thus: "Our Father." But how long were they before being brought to ask anything in this name! Such a wretched unwillingness is in the heart of man, indeed, to know or come to its own good. 2. This royal priesthood have this privilege from their interest in God: they may go freely, and with boldness, to the throne of grace. |