will receive you, and will be a Father unte you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor. vi. 17.) God, in these passages has not only shown his willingness and his determination to become a God in covenant with the sons of men, but by the gift of his only begotten Son from his bosom, to open the way for it -by the mission of the Holy Ghost to make application of the purchased redemption-by all the invitations and promises of the Gospel, and means of reconciliation, he shows that his mind is exceedingly engaged in it.

Had it not pleased him thus to make known his purpose to be a covenant God to men, and exhibited the terms of his covenant, there could have been no rational foundation for covenanting with him; there could have been no rational ground of faith or hope in covenanting with him. Indeed, without a revelation of his will, all attempts to covenant with him would be the highest pre sumption and madness. But blessed be his name, that we have the fullest assurance on this point. For the Most High to become a God to his people, implies in it immense good; the inheritance of all things. It implies the forgiveness of their sins, their adop

tion and sanctification, their peace with God and their own consciences, joy in the Holy Ghost, perseverance in grace, and eternal salvation. The covenant is ordered in all things and sure; so that every thing shall work together for good, to them who love God, and are called according to his purpose. (Rom. viii. 28.) God, himself, in his infinite perfection and fulness, becomes theirs, to make his grace sufficient for them, to give, them peace in life and death, to raise them in glory at the last day, and to be their all-satis fying and eternal portion. He that overcometh, shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Rev. xxi. 7.) This covenant, thus full, ordered in all things and sure, is also an everlasting covenant. Nothing can vacate it, nor prevent the Christian's enjoying all the blessings of it. This is the language of the Scripture, He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, (Isa. xliv. 10.) He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Heb. xiii. 5.)

This is the covenant which the great God

in infinite condescension and grace, proposeth to lost men, through Jesus Christ. He is the only mediator of the new covenant. No man can come unto the Father, but by him. It is wholly on the account of his merit and mediation, that any man is admitted to cove nant with God, or to enjoy any covenant mercy.

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The terms of the covenant on the part of men are, that they shall be God's people. will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jer. xxxi. 33.) This implies a full persuasion of the truth of the Gospel, and a cordial acceptance of the terms of the covenant of grace. It implies a renunciation of all sin, a sincere and solemn dedication of ourselves to God through Jesus Christ; and our engagement to be his, walking in all his statutes and ordinances blameless. It is required that they put away all iniquity. If sins as dear to them as the right eye or hand, cleave to them, they must be put away, and they must walk circumspectly, giving none offence to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. They engage themselves to God, to be pious, righteous, and charitable; to cultivate religion in their own hearts, to maintain it in their clo

sets, in their families, in the house of God, in all their relations and conditions, at all times, and in all places. They engage to love their brethren, to submit to their faithful reproof and admonitions: that they will, in brotherly love, reprove and admonish them when it shall be necessary: that they will use their influence to maintain that holy discipline which Christ hath appointed in his house, and that they will submit to it themselves. -That they will cordially unite with their brethren in supporting the worship and ordinances of God, for his honour, their mutual instruction and edification, and for the instruction and salvation of others. These things all Christians engage to do in covenanting with God. They covenant to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded them.

This is the view which Moses and the Israelites had of covenanting with God. This was the language of Moses in his address to them upon their covenanting with him: This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore observe and do them with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God,

and to walk in all his ways, and to keep all his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice. (Deut. xxvi. 16, 17.) The covenant bound them to universal obedience. There was no reservation with respect to any command or duty, in any relation or condition.

This is the light in which our churches view it, as appears from the forms generally used in them from the first settlement of New-England. They have very generally been to this effect:-"You do now avouch the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be your sovereign Lord, and supreme good; giving up yourself to him, through Christ, in the way, and on the terms of the covenant of grace. And you do also give yourself up unto this church according to the will of God, promising to watch over your fellow-Christians, as becomes a saint: and in your place, to bear testimony against all sin, and to walk in the strict and conscientious observance of all the commands and ordinances of Christ; upholding the worship of God in this place, submitting yourself to the discipline of Christ, according to his word." Those who enter into covenant, engage also to give up such as God hath

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