and continue fo doing, God hath another Way to take with you, even to dafh you in Pieces like a Potters Veffel: for this hath Chrift received of his Father to do unto you, Rev.

2. 27.

Thus I have fhewed you in particular, that the Covenant of the Grace of God is free and unchangeable to Men; that is, in that it hath been obtained for Men, and that perfectly, to the fatiffying of Juftice, and taking all Things out of the Way that were any ways an Hinderance to our Salvation, Col. 2. 14.

The fecond Thing for the Discovering of this Freenefs and Conftancy of the Covenant of the Grace of God, it is manifefted thus:

Firft, Whatfoever any Man hath of the Grace of God, he hath it as a free Gift of God through Chrift Jefus the Mediator of this Covenant, even when they are in a State of Enmity to him (mark that Rom. 5. 8, 9. Col. 1. 21, 22.) whether it be Chrift as the Foundation Stone, or Faith to lay hold on him, Eph. 28. For by Grace you are faved through Faith, and that not of your felves (not for any thing in you, or done by you for the Purchafing of it) but it is the free Gift of God. And that beftowed on you, even when ye were dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Nay, if thou haft fo much as one Defire that is right, it is the Gift of God; for of our felves, faith the Apoftle, we are not able to speak a good Word, or think a good Thought, 2 Cor. 3. 5.

Was it not Grace, abfolute Grace, that God made Promife to Adam after Tranfgreffions? Gen. 3. 5+

Was

Was it not free Grace in God to fave such a Wretch as Manaffeth was, who used Inchantments, Witchcraft, burnt his Children in the Fire, and wrought much Evil? 2 Chron. 33.

Was it not free Grace to fave fuch as thofe were that are fpoken of in the 16th of Ezekiel, which no Eye pitied?

Was it not free Grace for Chrift to give Peter a loving Look after he had curfed and fwore, and denied him?

Was it not free Grace that met Paul when he was going to Damafcus to profecute, which converted him, and made him a Veffel of Mercy?

And what fhall I fay of fuch that are spoken of in the Cor. 6. 9, 10. fpeaking there of Fornicators, Idolaters, Adulturers, Effeminate, Abufers of themfelves with Mankind, Thieves, Covetous, Revilers, Drunkards, Extortioners, the bafeft of Sinners in the World, and yet were wafhed, and yet were juftified, was it not freely by Grace? O Saints! you that are in Heaven cry out, We came hither by Grace; and: you that are on Earth, I am fure you cry, if ever we do go thither, it must be freely by Grace.

Secondly, In the next Place it appears to be unchangeable in this. First, becaufe Juftice being once fatisfied, doth not ufe to call for the Debt again: No, let ever fuch a Sinner come to Jefus Chrift, and fo to God by him; and Juftice instead of speaking against the Salvation of that Sinner, it will fay, I am juft, as well a faithful, to forgive him his Sins, John 1.9. When Juftice itself is pleafed with a Man, and fpeaks on his Side, inftead of fpeaking against him, we may well cry out, Who all condemn?

as

2. Because

2. Because there is no Law to come in against the Sinner that believes in Jefus Chrift; for he is not under that, and that by Right comes in against none, but thofe that are under it: But Believers are not under that, that is not their Lord, therefore that hath nothing to do with them; and befides Chrift's Blood hath not only taken away the Curfe thereof, but also he hath in his own Perfon compleatly fulfilled it as a Publick Perfon in our ftead, Rom. 8. 1, 2, 3, 4.

3. The Devil that accufed them is deftroyed, Heb. 2. 14, 15.

4. Death and the Grave, and Hell are overcome, 1 Cor. 15. 55. Hofea 13. 14.

5. Sin that great Enemy of Man's Salvation, that is washed away, Rev. 1. 5.

6. The Righteoufnefs of God is put upon them that believe, and given to them, and they are found in it, Phil. 3. 8, 9, 10. Rom.

3. 22.

7. Chrift is always in Heaven to plead for them, and to prepare a Place for them, Heb. 7. 24. John 14. 1, 2, 3, 4.

8. He bath not only promifed that he will not leave us, nor forfake us; but he hath also fworn to fulfil his Promife. O rich Grace! free Grace! Lord, who defired thee to promife? Who compelled thee to fwear 2 we ufe to take boneft Men upon their bare Words; but God, willing more abundantly to fhew unto the Heirs of Promife the Immutability of his Counsel (hath) confirmed it by an Oath, that by two immutable Things (his Promife and his Oath) in which it is impoffible for God to lye (or break either of them) we might bave ftrong Confolation, who have fled for Refuge to

lay

lay hold upon the Hope fet before us (Heb. 6. 13, 17, 18.) I'll warrant you God will never break his Oath; therefore we may well have good ground to hope from fuch a good Foundation as this, that God will never leave us indeed.

Again, Thirdly, Not only thus, but First, God hath begotten Believers again to himself, to be his adopted and accepted Children, in and through the Lord Jefus, 1Pet. 1.3.

Thefe Things are more fully laid down in that part of the Book which. of the Privileges of the containing the Difcourfe New Covenant.

Secondly, God hath prepared a Kingdom for them, before the Foundation of the World, through Jefus Chrift, Mat. 25. Thirdly, He hath given them an Earnest of their Happiness, while they live here in this World (Eph. 1. 13, 14.) After ye believed you were fealed with the Holy Spirit of Promife, which is the Earnest of our Inheritance, until the Redemption of the purchased Poffeffion to the Praife of his Glory, and that through this Jefus

Fourthly, If his Children fin thro'Weakness, or by fudden Temptation; they confefling of it, he willingly forgives and heals all their Wounds, reneweth his Love towards them, waits to do them good, cafteth their Sins into the Depths of the Sea, and all this- freely, without any Work done by Men as Men. Not for our own fakes do I do this, O Houfe of Ifrael, be it known unto you, faith the Lord, Ezek. 36. 22, 23. but wholly and alone by the Blood of Jefus.

Fifthly, In a Word, If you would fee it altogether, God's Love was the Caufe why Jefus Chrift was fent to bleed for Sinners, Jefus Chrift's bleeding,

bleeding ftops the Cries of Divine Justice: God looks upon them as compleat in him, gives them to him as his by right of Purchase. Jefus ever lives to pray for them that are thus given unto him. God fends his holy Spirit into them, to reveal this to them; fends his Angels to minifter for them; and all this by Virtue of an everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son. Thrice happy are the People that are in fuch a Cafe.

Nay, further, he hath made them Brethren with Jefus Chrift, Members of his Flesh, and of his Bones, the Spouse of this Lord Jefus; and all to fhew you how dearly, how really, how con-stantly he loveth us, who by the Faith of his Operation hath laid hold upon him.

I fhall now lay down a few Arguments for the fuperabundant Clearing of it, and afterwards answer two or three Objections that may be made against it, and fo I fhall fall upon the next Thing.

First, God loves the Saints, as he loves Jefus Chrift; and God loves Jefus Chrift with an eternal Love; therefore the Saints alfo with the fame. Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me, John 17. 23

Secondly, That Love which is God himself, muft needs be everlasting Love: And that is the Love wherewith God hath loved his Saints in Christ Jefus; therefore his Love towards his Children in Chrift muft needs be an everlasting Love: There is none dare fay, that the Love of God is mixed with a created Mixture: if

You must not understand that Love in God is a Paffion as it is in us; but the fence or Nature of God, Love of God is the very EfJohn 4. 16.

not