waft flain and haft redeemed us unto God by thy blood, and haft made us kings and priests unto him."

David fpeaks of God's covenant as ordered in all things and fure. The prophet calls it "the fure mercies of David ;" or the mercies promised in Christ the son of David. This stability of the covenant is indicated in the rainbow around God's throne.

The fame mercy, which conftituted the covenant, will make it good." The promise is by grace, to the end that it may be fure to all the feed, even to them, who are of the faith of Abraham."

"The Lord is a God of truth." Men make promises, and fail of performing them; but "he is not a man, that he should lie, nor the fon of man, that he should repent.' "He is faithful ; he cannot deny himself."

"He is the only wife God." All his counfels are formed in wisdom, and none of them will mifcarry, like human counfels, through ignorance, incaution or want of forefight.

"What he has promised, he is able to perform." Yea, he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we afk or think."

"With him is no variablenefs or fhadow of turning." "His gifts and calling are without repentance;" or without change of purpose.

To make his promife fure," he has confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things," a promife and an oath," in which it is impoffible for God to lie, we might have a ftrong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope fet before us."

The death of Chrift confirms the covenant; for "it is a remembrance of the holy promife, the oath fworn to Abraham."

Chrift's blood has purchased the bleffings, and ratified the promises of the covenant. Hence this is called the blood of the New Teftament. Hence all God's promises are faid to be yea and amen in Christ.

For the ftronger confirmation of the covenant, God has fet his own feal upon it. Of old there were types prefiguring, now there are ordinances representing the Saviour's death, in which the covenant is founded. In our obfervance of these we are to remember the faithfulness, and trust the promises of God.

Reflections.

1. How wonderful is God's condefcenfion in treating with us by a covenant? He not only lays us under obligations to him by his commands, but himself under obligations to us by his promifes. If, in his abfolute fovereignty, he had given us a law, required our obedience, and left us in a state of uncertainty, whether he would forgive our fins, help our infirmities, and remunerate our fervices, ftill there would be great reason why we fhould study to approve ourselves in his fight. But he has not placed us in fuch a doubtful and anxious situation. He has dealt with us, rather as a father, than as a fovereign. He has not only inftructed us what is his acceptable will, but ftated to us the different confequences of obeying, and of oppofing it. While he injoins duty, he promises favour. Though we are unworthy of the smallest, he gives us a claim to the richest reward.

2. How happy is the condition of those who by faith are interested in God's covenant.

They are entitled to every bleffing, which they can defire, for every bleffing is promised by a faithful God. Though they may seem to have

nothing, yet they have all things either in poffeffion, or in promife. They are now in peace with God, free from condemnation, led by the Spirit, and entitled to heaven. Afflictions work for their good, death will be their gain, glory their reward, God is, and ever will be their portion. They inherit all things.

3. We fee how we are to judge, whether the bleffings promised are ours. We must enquire, whether we have confented to the conditions of them. God is faithful to his promifes; but his faithfulness is no fecurity to thofe, who reject the terms on which the promises are made. Have we repented of our fins? Have we put ourselves under the law to Chrift? Do we bring forth the fruits of repentance, and perform the works of faith? Then pardon and life are ours. are to feek for glory; thus we may appropriate the comforts of hope. But if under confcious guilt we seek relief by applying the promises without attending to the conditions, we heal our hurt flightly, and the wound will break out again with enraged pain and augmented danger.

Thus we

4. The mercy difplayed in the gofpel teaches us to put on humbleness of mind.

Between the conditions and the promises of the covenant there is a fure connection; but this is founded, not in the merit of the conditions, but in the gracious conftitution of God. He forgives our fins on repentance, not because repentance deferves forgiveness, but because he is abundant in goodness. He gives his fpirit to them who ask it, not because prayer deferves the favour, but because he pities unworthy and helpless creatures. Where is boafting then? It is excluded. Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord.

Come then, let us repair to the throne of God,

which we behold encompaffed with tokens of grace and mercy, faithfulness and truth. Let us fall down before it in deep repentance of fin, and receive the offered pardon with all the energies of fervent defire, active faith and flowing gratitude. "Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrightcous man his thoughts, and let him turn to the Lord, who will have mercy on him, and abundantly pardon him.”

SERMON XVI.

No Temple in Heaven.

A Sermon preached on the first Lord's Day after the Dedication of a New Meeting-House.

REVELATION xxi. 22.

And I saw no Temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it.

SAINT

JOHN, in the preceding verfes, defcribes the heavenly ftate as a fpacious city, in fome refpects, refembling the ancient Jerufalem, but far more glorious, fo that it may be called the new Jerufalem.

As heaven cannot, at prefent, be made vifible to us, it is reprefented by images taken from things which are vifible. That our conceptions of it may be raised as high as imagination can ascend, the images are borrowed from objects the moft magnificent of any, with which mortals are ac quainted; and in the figurative representations fuch circumstances of fplendor and majefty are com❤

VOL. V.

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