of the new covenant should belong unto you? Friends, have you duly considered what are the blessings of the new covenant? I will tell you briefly :

They are all those spiritual blessings which you want, and complain for the want of. There are seven or eight spiritual blessings that a poor drooping soul doth complain for the want of.

Oh, saith he, I am afraid I am not the child of God; or I fear my sin is not pardoned; and I do not find an inward constant frame of soul to what is good; and I am a poor ignorant creature; and I have a hard heart; and I want the Spirit of the Lord within me; and I cannot walk with God as I ought to do; and I fear I shall fall away, and go to hell at last. Why now in the covenant of grace there is supply promised against all these fears.

Dost thou say, I am afraid I am not the child of God? Why, saith the Lord here in the covenant, "I will be a God unto you, and you shall be my people," There is adoption for you. Heb. viii.

Do you say, I am afraid my sin is not pardoned? Then saith the Lord in the covenant, "Your sin and your iniquity will I remember no more," Heb. viii.

Do you say, Oh, but I do not find that constant frame of heart unto what is good? Why, saith the Lord in the covenant, "I will write my law in your heart."

Do you say, Oh, but I am a poor ignorant creature? Why, saith the Lord in the covenant, " You shall all know me from the greatest to the least, and you shall be taught of God."

Do you say, Oh, but my heart is hard? Why, saith the Lord in the covenant, "I will take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh."

Do you say, Oh, but I want the Spirit of God within me? Why, saith the Lord, "I will put my Spirit within you."

Do you say, I cannot walk with God as I ought? Why, saith the Lord in the covenant, "I will cause you to walk in my ways."

Do you say, I fear I shall fall away, and go to hell at last? Why, saith the Lord in the covenant, "I will put my fear into your hearts, and you shall not depart from me." These, even these, besides heaven, and besides the blessings of this

earth, so all these blessings are promised in the covenant of grace; and if Christ be the Mediator of the new covenant, then do these blessings belong to you, for he is Surety as well as Mediator. But,

Is it not a great matter to have the Lord Jesus to interpose between God the Father and you, to take up all differences as they may arise? Why, if Jesus be the Mediator of the covenant, so it is: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins."

Is it not a great matter for you to enter into the holy of holiest, and to have all your duties carried in to God the Father by the hand of Jesus? If he be your Mediator, so it is, Rev. viii.

Is it not a great matter in case that you have to deal with enemies, either for soul or body to have one by, that can and will interpose and rebuke them? Why, if Jesus be the Mediator of the covenant, thus shall it be. He interposed between Laban and Jacob; when Laban followed Jacob, he rebuked Laban. He interposed in the case of Joshua, when "Satan stood up at his right hand: the Lord rebuke thee," as in Zechariah iii. The same word in the Hebrew, that Job useth for days-man, comes from a root that signifies to rebuke.

And then to say no more in it but this, Is it not a great matter for one that is in trouble, or affliction of spirit, to have Christ to interpose between God the Father and him, when he lies under the sense of God's wrath and displeasure? Why, if Christ be the Mediator of the new covenant, then thus it is; look into Job xxxiii., and see what a scheme and mould of conversion-work there is, verse 14, " God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not:" here is man in his natural state and condition, going on in the way of his sin, living nnder the means; and God speaking once and twice, and he perceives it not. Well then verse 15., " In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction." Here comes a work of conviction and conversion, suddenly, unexpectedly, and what then? then trouble of conscience, at verse 19., " He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of

his bones with strong pain, so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat; his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out; his soul draweth nigh unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers:" what then? why then at verse 23., " If there be a messenger; (Christ is the messenger of the covenant,) if there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, (an advocate) if there be a messenger with him, (or an advocate by him,) one of a thousand, (as Christ is,) to shew unto man his righteousness," where his righteousness lies; what then? why "then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." And then, "his flesh shall be fresher than a child's, he shall return to the days of his youth, he shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness." Thus now it shall be, if Jesus be the Mediator of the new covenant. Oh, what a comfortable thing therefore it is, for Jesus to be this Mediator of the covenant. And thus you see in the fifth place what those benefits are that we do gain thereby.

Sixthly, But then what are those doctrinal corollaries, or practical duties, that do flow from hence?

If Jesus be the Mediator of the new covenant, what an evil thing is it, and unreasonable, for men to think, or speak, or do any thing that may reflect upon this Mediator of the new covenant, or to sin against this new covenant? There are some opinions that do reflect and cast a black reflection upon Jesus the Mediator of the covenant.

The Socinian tells us, that Jesus is a Mediator such a one as Moses was to declare the mind of God unto us; but not a Mediator in a way of satisfaction, to satisfy God's wrath.

They say he is a Mediator, but not a Surety, to merit for us, or to pay our debt for us.

They say he is a Mediator, but deny the Deity of Christ, and so root up the very mediation of Christ; they cast a very black reflection upon this Mediator.

The Papists they say, that Christ is a Mediator, and our only Mediator in a way of redemption, but we have many mediators in a way of intercession, saints and angels.

They say that Christ is Mediator, but according to his human nature only, whereas the apostle saith expressly, that

"he offered up himself through the eternal Spirit:" thus they reflect upon this Mediator.

And for practice, is it not a great reflection upon this Mediator for us to think, that we ourselves by our own tears and fastings, and humiliations, can reconcile God unto us, or pacify God's anger, or make an atonement for a nation.

Is it not a very great reflection upon this Mediator to say, Oh, my sins are greater than can be forgiven? Is not this a very blameable reflection upon this Mediator of the new covenant?

But there are four or five ways especially wherein we do sin against the covenant.

By not looking into it, not studying it, not being acquainted with it. Shall the Lord Jesus be such a Mediator of such a covenant, and shall we not look into the covenant, and be acquainted with it. Yet Lord, how many poor souls are there that are ignorant of this covenant? What unthankfulness is this, what a sin against the covenant is this, that Jesus should be the Mediator of the covenant, and men should not look into it, not study it, not be acquainted with it?

Sometimes we sin against the covenant, by altering the mould and the frame of the covenant, by hanging our conditions upon God's covenant, our padlock upon God's door.

Sometimes we sin against the covenant, by slighting that great ordinance of the Lord's supper concerning which Christ hath said, "This cup is the New Testament in my blood:" to slight it, saying, these are low things, we are above ordinances, and these are carnal things, now thus to slight it is to sin directly against the covenant.

Sometimes we sin against the covenant by our unbelief and doubting.

But sometimes we sin against the covenant by turning the grace of this covenant into wantonness. Is this true, that the Lord hath promised mercy upon no condition to be performed by us; then why may we not live as we list? say men: thus of God in the covenant into wantonness. turning this grace But is this true, that Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant? Why then should we think, speak, or do any thing that may reflect against this Mediator, or sin against this covenant?

If Jesus be the Mediator of the new covenant, why, then,

why should you not trust in the Lord for ever, build upon him, and be secure as to the mercies and blessings promised in the covenant? If you come to a chamber to lodge in, and you see that it is laid upon weak, or lathy props, that the foundation be not sure, you say, I will not venture to lodge here; but if you come to a chamber that is laid upon a good foundation, you say then, I durst venture to lodge here. Why this new covenant is founded upon the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is the foundation of the new covenant; And therefore why should you not rest and be secure, confident, as concerning the mercies and blessings promised in the covenant?

Oh, but will say, you I cannot be persuaded that Christ is my Mediator; I know that Christ is a Mediator of the new covenant, but I cannot think that he doth mediate for me. If indeed I were persuaded that Jesus were my Mediator, or that he did mediate for me in particular, Ah, then I should trust in the Lord indeed for the blessings of the covenant. But I cannot be persuaded that Christ is my Mediator; I grant he is the Mediator of the new covenant, but I cannot say that he is my Mediator, or that he doth mediate for me, and therefore I cannot be satisfied.

No, what, the Father satisfied, who is the person offended, and you not satisfied, who are the person offending?

No, Why if the Jew had sinned, and the high priest had offered an offering, or a sacrifice for him, the sinning Jew would not say, this was not for me, and therefore I am not satisfied, for the sacrifice was not for me; He would not say so, but he would say that he was satisfied. And shall Jesus be our great High Priest, and shall He make an offering of himself for us, and will you say, it is not for me?

But to come a little nearer to your objection, that I may bring this great doctrine home unto our hearts.

The apostle hath said, "If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" what think you, are you not within the compass of those words, “if any man sin," will not those words reach you?

But if God be reconciled unto you, then Christ hath mediated for you; now God the Father is reconciled to you; for if you be reconciled to God and the things of God, then God is reconciled to you. Pray tell me, were you not an