Sam xxiii 5 Although my house be not so with God;

Sam xxiii 5 Although my house be not so with God;

The Balm of the Covenant humbly preſent them to you, with my hearty prayers, that God would make them afovereign balm, by the bleffing of his Spirit onthem,toyour wounded ſpirit,andtoall othergodly families groaning under the like ſtrokes ofGodwith you, and remain, MADAM, Your most faithful, Sympathizingfriend andfervant,

JOHN FLAVEL .

2SAM. xxiii. 5. Although my house benotſo with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things andfure : for this is all my falvation, and allmy defire, although he make it not togrow.

THHESE are part ofDavid's laſt words. The laſt words of dyingfaints, but eſpecially of dying prophets, are ponderous, memorable, and extraordinarily remarkable ; and fuch are theſe acknowledged to be, by all expoſitors : It is a golden ſentence, a divine oracle, fit to be the laſt words of everydying faint, as well as of David.

They are called his last words, not ſimply, and abſolutely, as though he breathed them forth with his last breath ; (for he ſpakemany things afterwards) but either they are the laſt he ſpake as a prophet, by Divine inſpiration, or becauſe he had them often inhis mouth, to his laſt and dying day.

They were his epicedium, his ſweetswan-like ſong, in which his foul found fingular refreshment, and ſtrong ſupport, amidſt the manifold afflictions ofhis life,and against the fears ofhis approaching death .

"The whole chapter is deſigned for a coronis or honourable cloſeofthe lifeofDavid, and gives us an accountboth of the worthy expreffions that droppedfromhim, and ofthe renowned worthies that were employed by him: But all the heroic atchievements recorded to the honour oftheir memories, in the following part of the chapter, are trivial and inglorious things, comparedwith this one divine ſentencerecordedinmy text; inwhich we have two things to confider, viz.

1. The preface, which is exceeding folemn .

2. The ſpeech itſelf, which is exceeding weighty.

1. In the preface, we have both the inftrumental andprim-

applied to afflicted Saints.

cipal efficient cauſe ofthis divine ſentence diſtinctly ſetdown, ver. 1. and the efficient, or author of it, ver. 2.

The instrument or organ of its conveyance to us, was David; defcribed by his deſcent or lineage, the Son of Feffe; byhiseminent ſtation, themanthatwas raisedup on high, even to the top and culminatingpoint ofciviland ſpiritualdignity and honour, both as a king, and as a prophet ; by his divine unction, the anointed of the God of Jacob ; and laſtly, by the flowing ſweetneſs of his ſpirit and ſtile, in the divine pſalms that were penned by him, whence he here gets the ti tle of the sweet pfalmist of Ifrael, the pleasant one, in the - psalms of Ifrael, as ſome read it.

The principal efficient cause ofthis excellent paſſage, is here - likewise noted, and all to commend it the more to ourſpecial

- obſervation and acceptance : " The Spirit ofGodfpake by me, - " and his word was inmytongue."

This ſtamps my text expreſsly with divine authority.

The Spirit ofGod ſpake by David,hewas nottheAuthor, but only the Scribe ofit. Thus the enſuingdiscourſe isprefaced. Letus next ſee,

2. The matter or ſpeech itſelf, wherein we shall find the maxims,and general rules ofgovernment preſcribed, and the felicity ofſuch agovernment elegantly deſcribed : "He that " ruleth over men muſt be just, ruling in the fear ofGod."

Princes being in God's place, muſt exalt the righteouſneſs of God,in the government ofmen; and when they do ſo, they ſhall be as the light ofthemorning whenthe funriſeth, evena morningwithout clouds, &c. Whathalcyondays ſhallthathappy people fee, whoſe lot is caſt into ſuch times and places ! All this is typically ſpoken ofDavid, and thoſe pious princes who - ſucceeded him; but mysticallyand eminentlypoints at Chriſt, who was toriſe outofDavid'sfeed, Rom, i. 3. and to fitupon... his throne,Acts ii. 30. So that in this he was raiſed onhigh, to an eminency ofglory and dignity indeed: he was ſo inhis ordinary natural feed ; aroyal race,deriving itſelf from him, and fittinguponhis throne in a lineal fucceffion, tilltheBaby- -loniſh captivity,which wasaboutfourhundred andthirtyyears,

Andafter that, the Jews had governors ofhis line, at leaſt rightfulheirsto that crown, tillthe promised Meffiah came.

But that which was the top ofDavid's honour, the moſt ſpark- - lingjewel inhis crown, was this, thatthe Lord Jeſus was to defcendfromhim, according tothe flesh, inwhom all theglorious characters before given, ſhould notonly be exactly anIwered,but abundantlyexceeded. Andthus you findthena

Ddd 2 :

The Balm of the Covenant tural lineof the Meſſiah is drawn down by Matthew, from David to the virgin Mary, Matth. i. And his legal line by Luke, from David to Joſeph, his ſuppoſedfather, Luke ii. 23.

Now, though the illustrious marks and characters of ſuch a righteous,ſerene,andhappy government, did not fully agree tohisday, nor would do ſo in the reigns of his ordinary natural ſucceſſors, his daywas notwithout manycloudsboth of fin andtrouble ; yet ſuch a bleſſeddayhe foreſaw andrejoiced in, when Chriſt, the extraordinary feed ofDavid, ſhoulda rife, and fet up his kingdom in the world, andwith the ex pectationhereof, he greatly cheers and encourages himſelf:

" Although my houſe be not fowith God, yet hath hemade " with me aneverlastingcovenant," be. Inwhich words four thingsare eminentlyremarkable.

1. Here is a fad conceſſion of domestic evils .

2. Afingular relief, from God's covenant with him.

3. The glorious propertiesofthis covenant diſplayed.

4. Thehigh efteem and dearregard his houſehaduntoft.

1. Here is David's fad and mournful conceffion ofthe evils ofhishouſe, both maral andpenal. "Altho' my houſe be not " ſowithGod," i. e. neither ſo holy, nor ſohappy, as this defcription ofa righteous and flourishing government imports; alas! itanſwers not to it : For thoughhe was eminent forgodlineſshimself, and had folemnlydedicated his houſe toGod,

Pfal. xxx. as foonas it was built, yea,though he piouflyrefolved towalk in the midst ofit with a perfect heart, and not to fufferanimmoralperſonwithin hiswalls ; yetgreatmifcarriages were found even inDavid's houſe andperfon, which Godchaſtiſedhim for, by athick ſucceſſion ofſharp and fore afflictions, Pfalm ci. 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7.

Tamar was defiledby herbrother Amnon, 2Sam. xiii. 13. Amnonwas barbarouf. lymurdered thereupon, by the advice of Abſalom, 2 Sam. xiii. 28. Abfalomunnaturallyrebels against his fatherDavid, anddriveshim outoftheroyal city,andperiſhes inthatrebel. lion, 2 Sam. xv. 1. then Adonijah, another darling-fon, graſpsatthecrown ſettledbyDaviduponSolomon,and perish esforthat his ufurpation, 1Kings ii. 25. O what aheap of miſchiefs andcalamitesdidthisgoodman live tofeewithin his own walls, befides themanyforeigntroubles that came from otherhands ! How manyflourishing branchesdidGod lop off from him, andthat intheir fins too ? So that hisdaywasaday ofclouds, even fromthemorninguntothe eveningofit; Pfal. cxxxii. 1. " Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions."

Well might he say, " his houſe was not fo with God."

•applied to afflicted Saints.

Butwhat then, doth he faint anddeſpond undertheſe manifoldcalamities ? Doth he refuse tobe comforted,becauſe his children aregone; and allthings involvedintrouble ? No,but -you find, 2. He relieveshimſelfbythe covenant Godhad madewith

- him: " Yet hath he made with me a covenant."

He looks to Chrift, "There is moreinthe covenant thanthis my houſebe- " foreGod," as the Chaldee turns it.

This little word yet, wraps up a greatandfovereigncordial init.

ThoughAmnon, Abſalom, andAdonijah be gone, and gone with many fmarting aggravations too; "yet hath he made with me a cove- " nant," yet I have this ſheet-anchor left to ſecure me. God's covenantwith me, in relationto Chriſt, this under-props and ſhores up my heart.

This covenantwas, without controversy,a goſpel-covenant.

It was David's goſpel: For allhis falvation and all his defire were in it; which could never be, except Chrift had been in it,whois the ſalvation of all the ends ofthe earth, andthedefireofall nations .

It is true, itwas amore obſcure and imperfect edition of the covenant offaith, yet clearer than thoſe that weremade before it; itcame not up to the fulneſs and clearness ofthedifcoveries madeby Jeremy andEzekiel : Butyet in this covenant with David,God revealed more ofChriſt, thanhad been ever revealed before; for the light ofChriſt, likethat of the morning, increaſed ſtill more and more, till itcame to a perfectday. It isworthy our obſervation,howGod made a gradual diſcovery of Chriſt from Adam, downalong to the New-Teſtamenttimes.

Itwas revealed toAdam, thathe ſhouldbe the feedofthewoman butnot ofwhat nation,tillAbraham's time ; nor ofwhat tribe, till Jacob ; nor of whatsex andfamily, till

David; nor thathe ſhouldbeborn ofa virgin, till Ifaiah ; nor i inwhat town, till Micah.

The firſt revelation ofthis covenant. with David, was byNathan the prophet ; 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13,

14. afterwards enlarged and confirmed, Pfalm lxxxix. By it heknewmuch ofChriſt, and wrotemuchof him.

He ſpake ofhis perfon, Pfalm xlv. 6, 11. Pfalm viii. 4, 5, 6. of his offices,bothprophetical, Pfalm xl. 8, 9, 10. priestly,Pfalm cx. 4. andkingly, Pfalm ii.6. ofhis incarnation, Pfal. viii. 5. of his deathon the croſs, Pfalm xxii. 16, 17. of his burial, Pfalın xvi. 8,9, 10. refurrection, Pfalm ii. 7. andtriumphant afcenfion, Pfalm lxviii. 18. there was the ſumofthe goſpel diſcover- :

* Plus eft quamhæc domus mea ante Deum, Jon, !

The Balm of the Covenant ed,though indark and typical terms andforms of expreffion; but ifout ofthis covenant, as obſcure as its revelationwas,Da vidfetchedfuch ſtrong ſupport and confolation, amidſt ſuchan heap of troubles, then the argument is good afortiori : What ſupport and comfort maywe not draw thence, who live undet the moſt full and perfectdiſplay of it, inall its riches andglory; enough hath been ſaid to prove it agoſpel-covenant ; but ifanydoubt ſhould remain ofthat, it willbe fully removed, byconfidering, 3. Theeximious properties and characters of the covenant, aswe findthem placedin the text ; and they are three, viz.

(1.) Everlasting.

(2.) Ordered in all things, and (3.) Sure.

(1.) It is an everlasting covenant, ora perpetual covenant, a covenant of eternity, * not in the moſt ſtrict, proper, and abſolute ſenſe: For that is the incommunicable property of Godhimſelf, who neither hath beginning, nor end; butthe meaning is, that the benefits and mercies of the covenant are durable and endleſs tothe people ofGod: For Chriſt beingthe principal matter and ſubſtance of the covenant, there mustbe in it aneverlasting righteouſneſs, as it is called, Dan. ix. 24. everlasting kindneſs, Iſa. liv. 8. everlasting forgiveneſs, Jer. xxxi. 34. and in conſequence to all theſe, everlasting confolation, Ifa. li. 11. in allwhich the riches andbounty of free grace ſhine forth in their greatest glory and ſplendor.

(2.) It is a covenant ordered in allthings, or orderlyprepar ed,diſpoſed, and ſet, as the word imports †.

Every thing be ing here diſpoſed and placed in the moſtcomely order, both perſons and things herekeep theirproper place : GodtheFatherkeeps the place ofthe moſtwiſe contriver and bountiful donor ofthe invaluable mercies of the covenant ; and Chrift keeps the proper place both ofthe purchaſer andſurety ofthe covenant ; and allthe mercies in it; and believers keeptheir place, as the unworthy receivers of all the gratuitous mercies andrich benefits thereof, andthe moſtobliged creatures in all theworld to freegrace, ſaying, although my houſe, yea, al though my heart and my life be not fo withGod, yet hathhe made with me an everlasting covenant. And as perfons, lo things, allthings inthis covenant ſtand inthe moſt exquifite order, and exact correfpondence to each other. O it is a ra διαθηκη αιώνέος, i. e. A covenant ofage.

+ A ordinavit, difpofuit, aptauit.

applied to afflicted Saints.

viſhing fight tobehold the habitudeand reſpectofthe mercies inthe covenant, to the fins and wants of all that are in it !

Here are found full and ſuitable ſupplies to the wants ofall God's people.

Hereyou may feepardon in the covenant, for guilt in the foul ;joy in the covenant, for forrow in the heart ; ftrengthin the covenant, for alldefects and weakneſſes in the creature ;ftability in the covenant, for the mutability inthe creature.

Never did the wisdom of God ſhine forth more in anycontrivance in the world, (except that ofChriſt, the ſurety andprincipal matter ofthe covenant) than itdoth in the orderlydiſpoſe ofallthings in theirbeautiful order,andcomely proportions in this covenant ofgrace.

(3.)It is afure covenant, or a covenant ſafely laidup and kept, as the word imports * ; and upon this account the mercies of it are called, " The ſure mercies of David," Ifa. lv. 3 .

Andſo Pfalm lxxxix. 28. ſpeaking ofthis very covenant,God faith, " My covenant ſhall ſtand fast with him ;" there ſhall be no vacillancy, no ſhaking in this covenant: and ver. 34.

" My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is " gone out of mylips."

Everything is as its foundation is.

Now, God's covenant being foundedin his unchangeable counfel and purpoſe, wherein there can be no lubricity, and Chriſt being the ſurety of it, it must needs be, as the text calls it, a ſure covenant, wherein the faithfulness of God is as illuſtriouſly diſplayed, as his bounty and wisdom are inthe two former properties ofit.

And ſuch a covenant as this, ſo everlafting, aptlydiſpoſed,and ſure,muſt needs deſervethatprecious reſpect andhigh eſteem from everybelieving ſoul, which Davidheredoth pay it, in 4.The fingular and high valuation he had of it, when he faith, " This is all myfalvation, and all mydefire," or as fome tranſlate + " all my delight, or pleaſure ;" (i. e.) here I find all repaired with an infinite overplus, that I have lost in the crea ture : Here is life in death, fulneſs in wants, ſecurity in dangers, peace in troubles.

It is all my falvation ; for it leaves nothing in hazard that is eſſential to myhappiness ; and all my defire, for it repairs whatever I have loft, or can loſe : It is fo full and complete a covenant, that it leaves nothing to be defired out of it. O it is a full fountain! Here I repoſe my wearyfoul with full fatisfaction, and feedmy hungry defires with ſweeteft delights ; ſothat myvery foul is at reſt and eaſe, intheboſom ofthis bleſſfed covenant.

Thus you have the צפה לכז+ * custodivit, fervavit.

The Balm of the Covenant parts and ſenſe of the text.

The notes from it are three.

Obſervation 1. That God's covenant peoplemay be exercifed withmany fharp afflictions in their perfons andfamilies, Eccl. ix. 9.

EvenDavid's houſewasthehouſe ofmourning;"Although "myhouſe be not fo withGod, though he make itnot to " grow."

All forts ofoutward afflictions are incident to all fortsofmen. "Allthings (faith Solomon)comealiketo all:

" There is one event tothe righteous, andtothewicked; to " the clean, andunclean; tohim that facrificeth, and tohim

"that facrificeth not." The providences ſeem one and the fame, though the ſubject onwhom they fallbe vaſtlydifferent.

Eſtates andchildren,healthand liberty,will stillbe like themſelves, vanishing comforts, whoeverbe the owners of them.

No man's ſpiritual eftatecanbe knownbytheview ofhis tem poral eftate. Agodly family cannotbe a miferable,but itmay be a mournful family. Religion fecures usfrom the wrath, butitdoes not fecure us from the rod ofGod.

The Lord hathchoſen anotherwayof expreſſing his love tohis people, thanby temporal and external things: Therefore "all things

"comealike to all." The covenant excludes the curfe, but includes the cross. " Ifhis childrenforſakemylaw, &c. then

" will I vifit their iniquity with the rod, andtheir finwith " ſtripes : nevertheleſs my loving-kindness willI notutterly

" take away."

Nor indeedwould itbethe privilege of God's covenanted people, to be exempt from the rod; amark ofbastardy canbe no man's felicity, Heh. xii. 8. to go without the chaſtiſing difcipline of the rod, were togowithoutthe needful inſtruc tions andbleſſed fruits that accompanyand reſultfrom the rod, Pfalm xciv. 12.

Let us not therefore fay,as thoſe irreligious perſonsdidin Mal. iii. 14. "It is invainto ſerveGod,andwhat profit is it

"thatwe have kept his ordinances, and walked mournfully " before him ?" Surelynone fervehim in vain, but thoſe that ſerve him vainly.

Godliness cannot fecureyou from afflicti on, but it canand will ſecureyou from hell, and fanctifyyour afflictions tohelpyouto heaven. ButIſtay not here.

Obſervation 2. Adecliningfamily is afarestroke from the hand ofGod, and ſo to be acknowledged, wherever it falls.

Itwas a growing forrow to David, that his houſedid not grow; and he eyed the hand ofGodin it, "Hemade itnotto

" grow," as he ſpeaks in the text. He felt as many deaths as hehad dead children.

It isGodthat builds and deftroys fami

applied to afflicted Saints.

lies; he enlargeth and ſtraiteneth them again. Afamilymay decline two ways, viz. either, 1. By thedeath : or, 2. Bythe degeneracyofitsoffspring.

1. Bytheirdeath, whenGodlops offthehopeful ſpringing branches thereof, eſpeciallythe laſtand onlyprop of it, in whomnot onlyall the care and love, but allthehope and expectation ofthe parents is contracted and bound up.

For, The hearts of tender parents are usually bound upinthe life ofan only fon *. As a man's wife is but himselfdivided, ſo his children are buthimſelf multiplied ; andwhen all love and delight, hope and expectation, isreduced to one, the affecti on is ſtrong, and that makes the affliction fotoo.

Ifitwere not an unparalleled griefamong all earthly griefs and forrows, the Spirit ofGodwould neverhave choſen and ſingled it out from among all other forrows, to illuſtrate forrow for finby it, yea, forrows for that ſpecial fin ofpiercing Chriſt, ashe doth, Zech. xii. 10. " They ſhall lookuponhimwhom they

"havepierced, and ſhallmourn forhim, as onethat mourn- " eth for an only fon." How naked arethoſe walls, and how unfurnished is that houſe, wherethechildren (its beſt ornaments) are taken down and removed by death ? It is natural to allmen, to defire the continuanceoftheirnames andfamilies inthe earth; andthereforewhenGod cuts offtheir expectations in thatkind, theylook uponthemſelves asdry trees, or as the withering ſtalks in the fields, whenthe flowers are fallen off, and blown awayfrom them.

2. Or, which is yet much worſe, afamily maydeclineby thedegeneracy of its off-ſpring. When the piety, probity, and virtues of ancestors deſcend not with their lands to their pofterity, herethe true line ofhonour is cutoff, and the glory ofa familydies, though its children live; the family is ruined, though there be a numerous offspring. Surely it werebettermournfortendead children,thanfor onefuch living child.

Howmany fuchwretched families can England ſhew this day!HowhathAtheism anddebauchery ruined andfubverted many great and once famous families ! O it were better the arms ofthoſe families had been reverſed, and their lands alienated, yea, better had it been a fucceffion had failed, and thattheirnameshad been blotted out, than that Satan ſhould ruleby profaneneſs. in the placeswhereGodwas once fo feriouflyand ſweetly worshipped.

* Omnis in afcanioftat chari curaparentis. Virgil.

VOL. VII.

Ecc

The Balm of the Covenant a Whenſoever thereforeGod shalleitheroftheſeways fubvert family, it becomes them that are concerned in the ſtroke, notonlytoown and acknowledge the hand ofGod in it, but it to fearch their hearts and houſes, to find out the fins which have ſo provoked him ; yet not ſo as to fall intoan unbecomingdeſpondency of ſpirit, but withal to relieve themſelves, as Davidhere doth, from the covenant of God ; " Yet hath he d

" made with me an everlasting covenant."

Which brings us tothe third and principal point I ſhall inſiſt on.

( Obſerv. 3. That the everlasting, well-ordered, and fure covenant of grace, affords everlasting, well-ordered, andfure reliefto all that are within the bond ofit, how many or howgreat foever theirperfonal or domestic trials and afflictions are.

This point willbe cleared to your understandings, andpre pared for youruſe, by clearing andopening threepropofitions, which orderly take up the ſum andſubſtance of it, viz .

Propofition 1. That theminds ofmen, yea, the bestmen, are weak and feeble things under the heavy preſſures of affliction, andwill reelandfink under them, except they bestrongly relieved and under-propped.

Abowing wall doth not more need a ſtrong ſhore or buttress, than the mind ofaman needs a ſtrong ſupport and ſtay from heaven, when the weight of affliction makes it incline and lean all one way. "Unleſs thy law hadbeen my delights,

" I ſhould then have periſhed in my affliction," Pfal. cxix.92. q. d. What ſhift other men make to ſtand the ſhock of their afflictions, I know not ; but this I know, that ifGod had not ſeaſonably fent me the relief of a promife, I had certainly gone away in a faint fit of deſpondency. O how ſeaſonablydid

God adminifter the cordials ofhis word to my drooping finking foul Thisweakness in themind, to fupportthe burdens ofaffliction, proceeds from a double cauſe, viz .

1. From the ſinking weight ofthe affliction .

2. Fromthe irregularandinordinate workingsofthe thoughts ofit.

1. From the ſinking weightthat is in affliction, eſpecially in ſome forts of afflictions : they are heavy preſſures, ponder. ousburdens in themselves.

So Job ſpeaks, "O that my grief " werethoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in theba- " lances together ! For now itwould be heavier than the fand

" of the fea, therefore my words are ſwallowed up," Job vi.

2, 3, 4. q. d. If all the fand that lies upon all the ſhores inthe world, were ſhovelled up into one heap, and caft into one

applied to afflicted Saints.

ſcale, and my forrows into the other, my grief would weigh itallup. How heavy are the hearts of the afflicted ! what infupportable forrows do they feel, and groan under, eſpecially when God ſmites them in the dearest and nearest concerns theyhave in the world.

2. But eſpeciallythe reelings and ſtaggerings of the mind, are occafioned by the inordinate and irregular workings of its own thoughts.

Were it but poffible to keepthe mind ina ferene, ſedate, and ordinate frame, ourburdens wouldbe comparatively light to whatwe now feel them to be; butthe falling of thethoughts into confufions, and great diſtractions, ſpoils all.

Upon this account it is, that afflictions are compared to a ſtupifying doſe, which cafts the foul into amazement. Pfal. lx. 3. " Thou hast ſhewed thy peoplehard things,

" thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment." Afflictions are called the wine ofastonishment, from their effects upon the mind : for under agreatand ſudden ſtroke ofGod, it is like a watch wound up above its due height, ſo that for a time it ſtands ſtill, neither grace nor reaſon move at all: and when itbeginsto move again, O how confused and irregular are its motions ! it is full of murmurs, diſputes, and quar-

rels : theſe aggravate both our fin and mifery.

It is our own thoughts which take the arrow ofGod fhot at us, (which did but ſtickbefore in our clothes, and was never intended tohurt us, but only to warn us), andthrust it into our very hearts .

For thoughts, as well as poniards, can pierce and wound the hearts ofmen, Luke ii. 35. " A fword ſhall pierce thro

" thine own foul ;" (i. e.). Thy thoughts ſhall pierce thee.

They can shake the whole fabric of the body, and loose the best compacted and strongly jointed parts ofthe body : Dan. v. 6. " His thoughts troubled him, andthe joints ofhis loins

" were looſed." And thus a man's own mind becomes a rack oftorment tohim ; a miſery which no creatures, exceptmen and devils, are ſubjected to. O how many bodies have been destroyedby the paffions ofthefoul 1 they cut through it, asa keen knife through a narrow ſheath. "Worldly forrow works

" death," 2 Cor. vii. ro .

Propofition 2. The merciful God, in condeſcenſion to the weakness of hispeople, hath provided the best fupports and reliefs for their feeble and afflicted spirits .

" In themultitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts.

"delight my foul," Pfal. xciv. 17.

Carnal men feek their reliefunder trouble, from carnal things ; when one creature

Eee 2

The Balm of the Covenant forſakes them, they retreat to another which isyet left thems till they are beaten out of all, and then their hearts fail, havingnoacquaintancewithGod, or ſpecial intereſt inhim : for thecreatures will quickly ſpend all that allowance of comfort theyhave toſpend uponus. Some trywhatreliefthe rules of philofophy can yieldthem, ſuppoſing aneatſentence ofSeneca maybe as good a remedy as a text ofDavid or Paul ;but, alas ! it willnotdo : fubmiffion from fatal neceſſity, will never eaſe the afflicted mind, as Chriſtian reſignation will do.

It is not the eradicating, but regulating of the affections, that compoſes aburdened and diſtractedfoul.

One word ofGodwill fignifymore to our peace, than allthe famedand admired precepts ofmen.

To neglectGod, and ſeek relief from the creature, is to forſake the fountain ofliving waters, and go to thebroken ciſterns which can hold nowater, Jer. ii. 13. The beſt creature is but a ciſtern, not a fountain ; and our dependance on it makes it abroken ciſtern, ſtrikes a hole through the bottom of it, ſo that it can hold no water. " I, even I (faith,

" God) am he thatcomforteth you," Ifa. lvii. 12. The fame hand that wounds you, muſt heal you, or you can never be healed.

Our compaſſionate Saviour, to affuage our forrows, hath promiſed he will not leave us comfortless, John xiv. 18.

OurGod will not contend for ever, left the ſpirit fail before him, Ifa. lvii. 16. He knew how ineffectual all otherconforts and comforters would be, even phyſicians of no value, and therefore hath gracioufly prepared comforts for his diſtreſſed ones, that will reach their end.

Propoſition 3. Godhathgatheredallthe materialsand principals ofour relief into the covenant ofgrace, and expects that we betake ourselves unto it, intimes of distress, as to ourfure,

Jufficient, andonly remedy.

As all the rivers run intothe ſea, and there is the congre gation ofallthe waters ; ſo all the promiſes and comforts of the goſpel, are gathered into the covenant ofgrace, and there isthe congregation ofallthe ſweet ſtreams ofrefreshment that arediſperſed throughout the ſcriptures. The covenant isthe ſtore-houſe of promiſes, the ſhop of cordials and rare elixirs, to revive us in all our faintings ; though, alas ! moſt men knowno more what are their virtues, or where to findthem, thananilliterate ruſtic put into an apothecary'ssoap.

Whatwas the cordialGod prepared to revive the hearts of his poor captives groaning underhard and grievous bondage, bothinEgyptandinBabylon? Was it nothis covenantwith

applied to afflicted Saints.

Abraham ? Andwhydidhe give itthefolemn confirmation by an oath, but that it might yield tohim, and all his believing feed,ftrong confolation, Heb. vi. 17, 18. the very ſpirit ofjoy amidſtall their forrows.

Andwhat was the reliefGod gave to the believing eunuchs thatkept his Sabbaths, took hold of his covenant, and choſe thethings inwhichhe delighted ? " To them(faithhe)will L

" givein myhouſe, andwithinmywalls, aplace, and a name, " betterthan thatoffons orofdaughters," Ifa. lvi. 4,5. Tho they were deprived ofthoſe comforts other men have in their poſterity, yethe wouldnothavethemlookuponthemſelves as dry trees ; a covenant-intereſt would answer all, and recompenſe abundantly the wantof children, or any other earthly comfort.

Certainly, therefore,Davidwas atthe rightdoorofreliefand comfort, when he repairs to the covenant, as here in thetext,

"Yethath he made with mean everlasting covenant." There, or no-where elſe, the reliefof God's afflicted is tobe found.

Now, to make anything become a complete and perfect relief to an afflicted ſpirit, theſe three properties muſt concur andmeetin it, elſe it cannever effectually relieve anyman.

I. Itmust be able to remove all the cauſes and grounds of troubles.

II. It must beable to do ſo at all times.

III. It must be capable of agood perſonal ſecurityto us.

For if it onlydivert our troubles, (as creature-comforts ufe todo), and do notremove the ground and cauſe ofour trouble, it is but an anodyne, not a cure or remedy. And if it can remove the very ground,and cauſe of our trouble, for a time, but notfor ever, thenitis but atemporary relief: our troubles may return again, and we left in as bad cafe as wewerebefore. And ifitbe initſelf, able to remove all the cauſes and grounds ofour trouble, and that at all times, but not capableof a perſonal ſecurityto us, orour well eſtabliſhed intereſt in it, allfignifies nothingtoour relief.

But open your eyes and behold, O ye afflicted ſaints, all theſeproperties of acomplete relief meeting together in the covenant, as it isdiſplayed in the text.

Here is a covenant ableto removeall the grounds and cauſes ofyour trouble ; for it isORDERED in all things ; or aptly diſpoſedby the wisdom andcontrivance ofGod, to anſwer every cauſeand ground of trouble and forrow in our hearts.

It is able to do this at all. times; as well in our day, as in David's or Abraham's day: for itis an everlasting covenant; its virtue and efficacy isnot

The Balm of the Covenant decayedbytime. And, laſtly, it is capable ofagoodperſonal ſecurity or affurance to allGod's afflicted people ; for it is a fure covenant.

The concurrence oftheſe three properties in the covenant makes it a complete relief, and perfect remedy, to which nothingiswanting inthe kindandnature ofa remedy.

Theſe three glorious properties of the covenant aremy proper province to open and confirm, for your ſupport and comfortin this day of trouble.

I. That the covenant of grace is able to remove all thecauses and grounds of a believer's trouble, be they never so great or many. This I doubtnotwillbe convincinglyevidencedanddemonftrated bythefollowing arguments, or undeniable reaſons.

Argument I. Whatſoever diſarms afflictions of the only ſting whereby theywoundus, muft needs be acomplete relief and remedy to the afflicted foul.

But ſodoth the covenant ofgrace, itdiſarms afflictions of theonly fting by which they wound us.

Therefore the covenant ofgrace muſt needs be a complete reliefand remedy to the afflicted foul.

The ſting ofall afflictions is the guilt of fin; when God fmites, confcienceuſuallyſmites too: and this is it that caufes allthatpainand anguish in the afflicted. It is plainly ſo in the example ofthe widow of Zarephath, I Kings xvii. 18. when herfon, heronly fon, and probably her only child, died, how did that ſtrokeofGod revive guilt in herconfcience, and made the affliction piercing and intolerable ! as appears by her paffionate expoftulation with Elijah, who then fojourned in her houſe : "Whathave I todo with thee,Oman ofGod ? art thou

" come unto me to call my fin to remembrance, and to ſlaymy " fon ?" q. d. What injuryhave Idone thee? Didſtthou come hither to obſerve my fins, and praydown thisjudgment upon mychild forthem ? The death ofher fon revived her guilt, and ſo itgenerallydoth, even in themost holy men.

When Job looked upon his wasted bodyunder afflictions, every wrinkle he faw upon it, ſeemedto him like a witneſs rifing up to teſtify against him. "Thou hast filled me with "wrinkles, which is a witneſs against me; and my leanneſs

" riſingup inme, beareth witneſs tomyface," Job xvi. 8.

Affliction is like a hue and cry after fin inthe ears of conſcience, and this is the envenomed poisonous ſting of affliction: pluck out this, andthe afflicted man is preſently eaſed, though the matter of the affliction ſtill abidewithhim, and lie uponhim. He is afflicted ſtill, but not caftdown by afflicti, on; theanguish andburdenisgone,thoughthe matter oftrou** ble remain.

applied to afflicted Saints.

This is plain both in fcripture, and inexperience.

Suitable hereunto is that ſtrange, but ſweet expreffion, " The inha- " bitants ſhall not ſay I am fick, the people that dwell therein

" fhallbeforgiven their iniquities," Ifa. xxxiii. 24. It is not to be imagined theſe people hadfound ſuch a fortunate island, or happy climate, where no diſeaſe could touch or invade their bodies; no, fickneſs will find outthe bodies of the beſt men, whereverthey live; wherever ſin hathbeen, fickness and death willfollow it.

Heaven is the onlyprivileged place from theſe miſeries : but the meaning is, though they be ſick, they ſhall notfeel the pains and burdens of ſickness, " they ſhall not " ſaythey are fick:" And why ſo? becauſe their iniquities are forgiven ; plainly confirming what was before aſſerted, thatthe anguiſhof an affliction isgone as foon as ever the ſting of guilt is pluckt out. And hence, pardoningof the foul, andhealing of thebody, areputtogether as conjugatemercies :

" Bleſs the Lord, Omy soul, who forgiveth allthine iniqui- " ties, and healeth all thy diſeaſes," Pfal. ciii. 1, 3.

When the foul is at eaſe, the pains ofthe body are next to nothing :

Sickneſs can cloud all naturaljoys, butnot the joyof a pardon.

Nay, which is yet more ; pluck out but the ſting of fin, and there is no horror in death, the king of terrors, and worſt ofall outward evils. Seehow the pardoned believer triumphs over it : " O death, where is thy ſting ? O grave, where is

" thy victory ? The ſting of death is ſin,"

1 Cor. xv. 55.

They are words of defiance, as men uſe to deride and ſcorn aboaſting inſulting enemy, when they feehim caſt uponhis back, and his ſword broken over his head *.

Where are your boasts and menaces now ? O death, thou haft loſt thy ſting and terror together. Thus the pardoned believer, with an holy gallantry of ſpirit, derides and contemus. his difarmed enemy death. So then it is manifeft, thatwhatever plucks out the poisonous ſting of affliction, muſt needs be an effectualremedy and cure to the afflicted perſon.

But this the covenant ofgrace doth ; it reveals and applies goſpel-remiſſion to themthat are within the bleffed bond of it.

"This shall be the covenant that I will make with the houſe of " Ifrael ; I will forgivetheir iniquity, andI will remembertheir

" finno more," Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. †Behold here agracious, full, * Where is now thy threats ? See there thy fury laid. Ovid.

+ חלמ ιλεώς εσομαι, It reſpectsthe propitiatory expiationof fin by

The Balm of the Covenant and irrevocable pardon! I willforgive, or be propitioully bel merciful, asthatword imports; pointing plainly toChrift our fru propitiation, our fins are forgiven us for hisname's fake. And K apardon asfullas it is free ; iniquity and ſin, fmaller and greater, are here forgiven; for God, in the remiffion ofhis people's fins,having reſpect tothe propitiating blood ofChrift, hepardons all, as well as fome; thatblooddeferving and purchafing the moſt full and complete pardons for his people,

1 John i. 7. "The blood ofChrift cleanſeth us from all fin."

And this covenant-pardon is asfirm, as it isfree and full.

So run the expreffions inthe grant, Iwill remember theirfin nomore : Or inthe apoſtle's words,Heb. viii. 12. 8 μη μνησθω έτι,

I will not remember them again: That is, not fo remem ber,as to impute them,or condemn my pardoned ones for them: For the pardoned perſons come no more into condemnation, Jobv. 24. Their fins are caſt into the depths ofthe fea, Mic. vii. 19. Sooner fhalltheEast andtheWest, the two oppoſite points ofheaven,meet, than thepardoned foul and its fins meet again incondemnation, Pfal. ciii. 12.

Now, the caſe ſtanding thus with all God's covenantpeople, all their fins being graciouſly, fully, and irrevocably forgiventhem, how convincingly and ſweetly doth this concluſionfollow, thatthecovenant isacomplete remedy to all afflicted believers ? As nothing can befal us before Chrift and pardonbe ours, which is fufficient to raiſeus, ſo nothing can befalus afterwards, whichſhoulddeject and fink us.

Thisis thefirſt benefit afflicted believers receive from the covenant, and this alone isenough toheal all ourforrows.

Arg. II.As the covenant ofgracediſarms all the afflictionsof believersof the only ftingby which they wound them ; ſo it alters the very natureand property of their afflictions, and turns them froma curſe into a blessingto them: Andin ſo doing, itbecomes more than a remedy, even a choice benefit and advantage to them.

All afflictions, intheirown nature, are apartofthe curse; theyare the conſequence and punishments of fin; they work naturally againſt our good: Butwhen once they are taken intothecovenant, their nature andpropertyis altered. Aswaters intheirfubterranean paſſages, meeting fome virtuous mineral intheir courſe, are thereby impregnated, and endowed witha rare healing propertyto thebody; ſo afflictions paffing through the covenant, receive from it anhealing virtue to our byChriſt, who istherefore called ιλασμος,and ελατηριων. 1Johnii, 21 and Rom. iii. 25.

applied to afflicted Saints.

fouls. They are, inthemselves, four and harsh, as wildhedge. fruits ; but being ingrafted into this ſtock, they yield the pleafant fruits of righteouſneſs. " If his children break my ſta- " tutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I viſit

" their iniquity with the rod, and their fins with ſtripes : Ne- " verthelets my loving-kindness will I not utterly take away,

" nor ſuffer my faithfulneſs tofail," Pfal. Ixxxix.30, 31. Here you may fee all the rods of affliction put into the covenant, as Aaron's rod was into the ark. Andhence twothings neceffarilyfollow.

(1.) That fuch afflictions can do the children ofGod no hurt.

They may affright, but cannot hurt them: We may meet them with fear, but ſhall part from them with joy: An unſanctified rod never did anymangood, anda fanctified rod neverdid any man hurt: He may afflict our bodies with fickneſs, deny, or cut off our comfort inchildren, impoverish our eſtates, let looſe perfecutors uponus; but in all this he really doth us nohurt. as he ſpeaks in Jer. xxv. 6. No more hurt than a skilful furgeondoth in ſaving his patient's life, by cuttingoff a mortified gangrened member : No more hurt than froſt and ſnowdothe earth in killing the rank weeds that exhauſted the fap and trength of it, and preparing andmellowing it toproduce a fruitful crop of corn. By theſe he recals ourminds from vanity, weans our fond and enſuaring affections from the world, diſcovers and mortifies thoſe luſts which gentler methods andeſſays could notdo : And is this for our hurt ?

IconfeſsGod's thoughts and ours often differ upon thiscafe.

Wemeaſure thegood and evil of providences, by their reſpect to the eaſe and pleaſure of our flesh, butGod fees this is the way tocaſt our ſpirits into adead formality, and in removing them, hedoth butdeprive us of the occafionsand inſtruments of ſpiritual miſchiefs and miſeries, in which certainlyhe doth us no hurt.

(2.) But that is not all.

Afflictions once put into the covenant, muſt promote the good of the faints; they are beneficial, as well as harmleſs things. " We know (faith the apo- " fſtle) that all things work together for good to them that love

" God."

This promiſe is the compaſs which fets the courſe, and directs the motion of all the afflictions of the people of God; and no ſhip at fea obeys the rudder ſo exactly, as the troubles of the righteous do the direction of this promife. Poffiblywe cannotdifcern this atpreſent, but rather prejudge the works ofGod, and ſay alltheſe things are againſt us; buthereVOL.VII.

Fff

The Balm of the Covenant after we ſhall fee, and with joy acknowledge themtobe thehappy inſtruments of our ſalvation.

How often hath affliction ſent the people ofGod to their knees, with ſuch language as this, ' O myGod, howvain and • ſenſual hath this heart of mine been under proſperity ! How

• did the love of the creature, like a ſluice cut in the bank of a river, draw away the ſtream of my affections from thee ! I • had gotten a ſoft pillow of creature-comforts under my head,

• and I easily fell asleep, anddreamed of nothing but reſt and • pleaſure, in a ſtate of abſence fromthee; but now thy rod hath awakened me, and reduced me to a right ſenſe of my

• condition.

I was negligent or dead-hearted in the course of ' myduty, but now I canpray more fervently, feelingly, and • frequently, than before. O it was good for me, that I have

• been afflicted. O, faith God, how well was this rod beſtowed, which hath done my poor child ſo much good ; now I have more of his heart, and more of his timeand company

' than ever ; now I hear the voice, and ſee the gracious work- • ings of the ſpirit of my child after me again, as in thedays of •his firſt love.

The fum of allthisyou mayfee in the inge puous meltings of Ephraim under a fanctified rod, Jer. xxxi.

19, 20. and the founding of the bowels of mercy over him.

Ephraim mourns at God's feet, andGod falls upon Ephraim's ' neck.

I have been as a beast, faith Ephraim : Thou art a dear fon, a pleasant child, faithGod. My bowels are trou

• bledand pained for fin, faith Ephraim : And my bowels are ⚫troubled for thee, and my compaſſions rolled together, faith

•God.

O bleſſed fruits of fanctified rods ! fuch precious ef fects as theſe richly repay you for all the pain and anguish you feel. And thus, as thewound of a ſcorpion is healed by applying its own oil, ſo the evil of affliction is cured by the fanctified fruits that it produceth, whenit is once put into the co venant.

Arg. III. Thecovenant doth not only alter the nature and property of theſaints afflictions, but it alſo orderlydisposes, and aptly places theminthe frame of providence, among the other means and inftruments of our ſalvation ; ſo that a council of angels could never place them, or the leaft circumftance be longing to them, more aptly and advantageously than it hath done. The knowledge of this muſt needs quiet and fully relieve the afflicted foul : And who candoubt it, that believes it tobe acovenant ordered in all things, as the text ſpeaks ? Here all things, yea, the moſt minute circumstances that befal you, arereduced to their proper claſs, and place of ſervice ; fo ex

applied to afflicted Saints.

actly ordered, that allthe wisdom ofmen and angels knows not how tomendor alter any thing toyour advantage.

If a ſmall pin be taken out of the frame of a watch, and placed anywhere elſe, the motion is either preſently ſtopped, or made irregular. And as Galen obſerves of the curious fabric of an human body, that if the greatest naturaliſts ſhould ſtudy an hundred years to find out a more commodious ſituation, or configuration of any part thereof, itcould neverbedone. It is ſo here : No man can come afterGod, and ſay, this or that had been better placed ortimed than it is, if this affliction had been ſpared, and ſuch an enjoyment ſtood in the room of it, it hadbeenbetter. AllGod's providences are the reſult and iſſues of his infinite wiſdom : For " he works all things according to " the counſel of his own will," Eph . i. 11. The wheels, i. e. the motions and revolutions of providence are full of eyes,

Ezek . i. 18. They are well adviſed, and judicious motions,Non caeco impetu volvuntur rotae ; they run not at random.

The moſt regular and excellent working must needs follow the moſt deep and perfect counſel, Iſa. xxviii. 29. "He isdeep incoun- " fel, and excellent in working."

Now, every afflictionthat befalsGod's covenantedpeople,being placedby the moſt wiſe and infinite counſel ofGod in that very order, time, and manner, in which they befal them, this

Tvery affliction, and not that, at this verytime, and not at another, (it beingalways atime of need, 1Pet.i. 6.), and uſhered inbyſuch forerunning occafions and circumſtances ; it must fol- #low, that they all take the proper places, and come exactly at the fitteſt ſeaſons; and if one of them were wanting, ſome- ( thing would be defective in the frame of your happiness.

As they now ſtand, theywork together for your good, which difplaced, they would not do.

" It is faid, Jer. xviii. 11. " Behold, I frame evil, and I deviſe adevice."

It isfpoken of the contrivanceand frame of afflictions, as the proper works ofGod.

The project of it is laid for his glory, and the eternalgood of his people.

It turns to their ſalvation, Phil. i. 19.

ButO how fain wouldwe have this or that affliction ſcrewed out of the frameof providence, conceiving it would be far better outthan in! O if God had ſpared my child, or my health, ithad been better for me than now it is.

But this is no other than a preſumptuous correcting and controuling of the wisdom ofGod, and fo he interprets it, Job xl. 2. " He that reproveth God, let him anſwer

" it." God hath put every affliction uponyour perfons, eftates, Fff2

The Balm of the Covenant relations, juſt whereyou find and feel it; and that whole frame hehath put into the covenant, in the virtue whereof it works foryour ſalvation : and therefore letalldiſputings and reatonings, all murmurs anddiſcontents cease; nothing can be better for you, than as God hath laid it; and this, one would think, ſhould heal and quiet all.

You yourſelves would mar all, by prefuming to mend any thing. " Who hath directed the Spi

" rit of the Lord, or being his counsellor, hath taught him?

" With whom took he counſel, andwho inſtructed him , and " taughthim in the path ofjudgment, and taught him know- " ledge, and ſhewed tohim the way of understanding ?" Ifa. xl. 13, 14.

Well then, be ſatisfied it is beſt as it is ; and nothing can be ſo advantageous to you, asGod's projects and contrivance, which you are ſo uneasy under, and diſſatisfied about.

Arg. IV. As the covenant forts and ranks allyour troubles into their proper claſſes and places of ſervice, ſo it ſecures the ſpecial gracious prefence of God with you, in the deepest plun gesof diſtreſs that can befal you ; which preſence is a full re lief to all your troubles, or elſe nothing in the world is, orcan be ſo.

The very heathens thought themselves well ſecured against all evils and dangers, if they had their petty houshold-gods withthem intheir journies: butthe greatGodof heaven and earth hath engagedto be with his people, in all their afflictions and diſtreſſes. As a tender father fits up himself with his fick child, and will not leave him to the careof a ſervant only; foGod thinks it not enough to leavehis childrento the tutelage and charge of angels, but will be with them himself, and that in a ſpecial and peculiarway: forun the expreſs words of the covenant, Jer. xxxii . 40. " I will not turn away from them

" todo them good, but I will put my fearinto their hearts; " and they ſhall not depart from me."

Here he undertakes forboth parts, himself and them. I will not, and theyshall not.

Hereis the faints ſecurity for the gracious prefence ofGod with them, a prefence which diſpels all the clouds of affliction and forrow, as the fun ſcatters the morning mists.

The God of all confolation is with you, O poor dejected believers, and will not fuch apreſence turn the darkness into light round about you ?

There is a threefold preſence ofGod with his creatures.

1. Effential, which is common and neceffary to all.

2. Gracious, which ispeculiar to ſome onearth,

applied to afflicted Saints.

3. Glorious, which is the telicity of heaven.

The firſt is not the privilege here ſecured; for it is neceſſary to all, good and bad: In him we all live, and move, andhave our being.

The vileſt men on earth, yea, the beasts of the field, and the very devils inhell, are always in this preſence of God, but it is their torment, rather than their privilege.

The laſt is proper to the glorified ſaints and angels.

Such aprefence embodied ſaints cannot now bear ; but it is his ſpecial gracious pretence which is made over and ſecured tothem in the covenant of grace; and this presence ofGod is manifeſted tothem two ways :

1. Internally, by the Spirit.

2. Externally, by Providence.

1. Internally, by the Spirit of gracedwelling and acting in them, this is achoice privilege tothem in theday of affliction : for hereby they are inſtructed and taught the meaning of the rod, Pfal. xciv. 12. " Bleſſed is themanwhom thou chaſteneſt,

" and teacheſt himout of thy law. " O it is a blefſed thing to betaught ſo many leſſons by the rod, as the Spirit teacheth them !

Surely they reckon it an abundant recompenſe of all thatthey fuffer.

" It is good for me that I have been afflicted, " that I might learn thy ſtatutes," Pfalm cxix. 71. Yea, he refreſhes as well as teaches, and no cordials revive like his. " In " the multitude of the thoughts I had within me, thy com- " forts delight mysoul," Plal. xciv. 19.

Yea, by the prefence and bleſſing of his Spirit, our afflic tions are ſanctified to ſubdue and purge out our corruptions.

" By this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all " the fruit to take away fin," Ita. xxvii. 9. Now, ifa man be inſtructed in the ends and deſigns of the rod, refreſhed and comfortedunder every ſtripe of the rod, and have his fins morfied and purgedby the ſanctification of the Spirit upon his afflictions ; thenboth the burdensomeness and bitterness of his afflictions are removed, and healed by the internal prefence of the Spirit of God with his afflicted ones.

But, 2. Beſides this, God is providentially preſent with his people, in all their troubles, in amore external way ; orderingall thecircumstances of their troubles to their advantage. He orders the degree and extent of our afflictions, Gill leaving us ſomemercies and comforts to ſupport and refreſh us, when others are cut off. Inmeaſuredothhe debatewithhis covenanted people, ſtaying the rough wind in the day of the east-wind,

Ifa. xxvii. 8. He might juſtly ſmite all our outward comforts atonce, ſo that affliction ſhould not riſe up the ſecond time:

The Balm of the Covenant forwhat comfort foever hath been abused by fin, is thereby forfeited into the hand ofjudgment. But the Lord knows our inability to ſuſtain ſuch ſtrokes, and therefore proportions themtoour ſtrength. We have ſome living relations to miniGer comfort tous when mourning over ourdead: He makes not a full end of all at once. Yea, and his providence ſupports our frail bodies, enabling themtoendure the ſhocks and storms of ſomany afflictions, without ruin.

Surely there is asmuch of the care of Providence manifeſted in this, asthere is inpreſerving poorcrazy leaking barks, and weather-beaten veſſels at ſea, when thewaves notonlycover them, butbreak into them, and they are readyto founder in the midst of them.

Owhata fingularmercy is the gracious preſenceofGodwith men! eventhe ſpecial preſence of that God, " who is above

" all, and through all, and in you all," as the apoſtle ſpeaks, Eph. iv. 6.

Above all, in majesty and dominion ; through all, inhis moſt efficacious providence ; and in you all, by his grace and Spirit.

Ashe is above all, ſo he is able tocommandany mercyyou want, with a word of his mouth; ashe is through all, ſohe must be intimately acquainted with all your wants, ſtraits, and fears ; and as he is inyou all, ſo he is engaged for your ſupport and ſupply, as you are the dear members of Chriſt's mystical body.

Objection. But methinks IhearGideon's objectionrolled into the wayof this ſovereign conſolation : " If God be with us, why is all this evil befallen us ?"

Solution. All what ? If ithad been all this rebellion andrage againstGod, all this apoſtacy and revolting more and more, all this contumacy and hardness of heart under the rod; then it hadbeen aweighty and ſtumbling objection indeed : but to ſay,

IfGodbewith us, why are allthese chaſtening corrections and remporal croſſes befallen us ? why doth he ſmite our bodies, children, or eſtates ? is anobjection noway fit to be urgedby any that are acquainted with the ſcriptures, or the nature and tenorof the covenantof grace.

Is afflicting and forſaking alt onewithyou ? muſtGod needs hate, becauſehe ſcourgeth you?

Iquestion whether Satan himself hath impudence enough tofet ſuch anote or comment upon Heb. xii. 6. " Forwhom the " Lord loveth, he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every fon whom

" he receiveth."

No, no, Chriſtian, it is nota chaſtening rod, but thedenying of fuch a favour, and fuffering mento fin with impunity, andgo on profperoufly in the wayof their own hearts, that fpeaks a rejected man, as thenext words, ver. 7. informyou.

applied to afflicted Saints.

Ashe never loved you the better for your profperity, fo you maybe confident he loves you never the leſs for your adverſity : andwill not this cloſe and heal the wounds made by affliction ?

What, not ſuch a promiſe as this, Iwillbe with him in trouble, Pfal. xci, 15. Will not fuch a prefence revivethee ? What then can do it ?

Moſes reckoned that a wilderness with God, was better than a Canaan without him. " If thy prefence go not " with me, (faith he), then carryus nothence," Exod. xxxiii.

15. And if there bethe ſpirit of a Chriſtian in thee, andGod ſhouldgive theethine own choice,thou wouldſt rather chuſe to be in the midst of all theſe afflictions with thyGod, than back again inall thy proſperity, and among thy children and former comforts, without him.

Arg. V. As this covenant aſſures you ofGod's gracious and ſpecial prefence, ſo it fully ſecures all the eſſentials and ſubſtantials of your happineſs, against all hazards and contingencies ; inwhich ſecurity lies your full relief and complete remedy againſt allyour troubles for the loss of other things.

There be two forts ofthings belonging to all God's people, viz.

1. Effentials.

2. Accidentals .

1. Theyhave ſome things which are effential to their happineſs ; ſuch are the loving-kindness of God, the pardon of fin, union with Chriſt, and eternal ſalvation.

And they have other thingswhich are accidentals, that come and go, live and die, without affecting or altering their happiness ; ſuch are health, eſtates, children, and all forts of relations and earthly comforts.

Theſeare to our happineſs, as leaves are to the tree, whichfade and fall away without endangering the tree; but the other as the vital ſap, without which it withers and dies at the very root.

Now, if itcan be made out that the covenant fully ſecures the former; then it will ſtronglyfollow, that it therein abundantly relieves us under all our forrows for the latter : And that it doth ſo, will evidently appearbyreviewing the covenant, wherein you ſhall find all theſe ſubſtantial and eſſential mercies of believers, fully ſecured against all hazards and contingencies whatsoever.

There the loving-kindness of God is ſecured to their fouls, whatever afflictions he lays upon their bodies. " Nevertheless

" my loving-kindness will I not take away," Pfal. Ixxxix. 33.

Andtheir pardon is as ſafe as the favour of God is ; it is fafely lockedup inthat promiſe, " I will remember their fins no " more," Jer. xxxi. 34.

Yea, heaven, together with our per

The Balm of the Covenant ſeverance in theway to it, are both put out of hazard by that invaluable promiſe, " They ſhall never periſh neither ſhall any man pluck them out of my hand," John x. 28.

Thus are all the eſſentials of abeliever's happineſs ſecured in the covenant ; and theſe being ſafe, the loss of other enjoyments ſhould not much affect or wound them, becauſe if he enjoy them, they add nothing tohis happiness; and ifhe loſe them, he is ſtill happy inGod withoutthem. And this unriddles that enigmatical expreſſion of the apostle, 2 Cor. vi. 10.

" As having nothing, yet poſſeſſing all things :" (i. e.) the ſubſtraction of all external things cannot make us miferable, who have Chrift for our portion, and all our happineſs entire inhim.

Ifa mantravellingonthe road,fall intothehands of thieves, who rob him of afew Chillings, why this doth not much affect him ; for thoughhe havelofthis ſpendingmoney, yet his ſtock is ſafe at home, and his eſtate ſecure, which will yield him more. Or if a man has been at court, and there obtained a pardon for his life, or a grant of athousand pounds per annum, and returning home ſhould chance to loſe his gloves, or his handkerchief, ſure if the man be in his wits, he will not take on or mourn for the loss of theſe trifles, whilst the pardon or grant is ſafe.

Surely theſe things are not worth the men tioning.

It is true, the lossof outward and earthlythings are to abeliever real trials, yet theyare but ſeeming loſſes: and therefore theyare expreſſed inthe apostle'sphrase, with atanquam, ficut!

" As chaſtened, and not killed; as ſorrowful, yet always re " joicing," 2 Cor. vi. 9.

And if your loffesbe but as itwere loffes, your forrows fhould bebutas itwere forrows : much like a phyfic-fickness, which wedo not call a proper ſickneſs, butas itwerea fickneſs, becauſeitconduceth to the health, and not tothehurt of the perfon ; as allGod's medicinal afflictions onhispeople alfo do.

Indeed, if the ſtroke of God were at our fouls, to cut them off from Chrift and heaven, to raze our names out of the covenant, or revoke the pardon of fin; thenwe had cauſe enough to juſtify the extremity of forrow; cauſe enough to weep out oureyes, and break our hearts for fuch a diſmal blow as that would be.

Butbleſſed beGod you ſtand out of the way of fuch ſtrokes as theſe; let God ſtrike round about you, or lay hishand upon anyother comfortsyou poſſeſs he willnever fmite you in theſe effential things, which iscertainlyenough to allay and relieve all your other forrows.

applied to afflicted Saints.

Myname isblotted out of the earth, but ftill it iswritten in heaven. God hath taken my onlyfon from me, but he hath givenhis onlySon for me, and to me. He hath broken off my hopes and expectations as to this world, but my hopes of heaven are fixed, fure, and immoveable for ever. My houſe and heart are both in confufion and great diſorder, but I have ſtill an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and fure. Icannot ſaymy ſon liveth, but I can ſtill say, " I know

" that my Redeemer liveth.

The graſs withereth, and the " flower fadeth; but the word of the Lord abideth for ever,'

Ifa. xl. 8.

ود Arg. VI. AsGod ſtrikes none of the ſubſtantial mercies of hiscovenantpeople, ſo when he doth ſmite their external acci dental comforts, the covenant of grace affures them, that even thoſe ſtrokes are the ſtrokes of love, and not wrath ; the wounds of afriend, and not of an enemy ; which is another fingular relief to the afflicted foul.

The moſt frightfulthing in any affliction, is themarkorcharacter of God's wrath which it feems tobear : take away that, andthe affliction isnothing "O Lord, rebuke me not in thine

४८anger, neither chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure," Pfal. vi.

1 Hedoth notdeprecate the rebukes, but the anger ofGod ; not his chaftening, but his hot difpleaſure.

God's anger is much more terrible than his rebuking, and his hot diſpleaſure than his chaſtening.

Therefore he intreats, that whatever God did to him in theway of affliction, hewoulddo nothing in the way of wrath ; andthen he could bear any thing from him. A mark of divine anger engraven upon any affliction, makes that affliction dreadful to agracious foul.

But ifamanbe wellfatisfied, thatwhatever anguish there be, yetthere is noanger, but that the rod isin thehand of love ;

Ohow it eaſes the foul, and lightens the burden ! Now this deſireable point is abundantly cleared in the covenant ; where wefindaclearconſiſtence, yea, a néceſſary connection betwixt the love and the rod ofGod, Pfal. Ixxxix. 31. and Heb. xii.

6. Nay, ſo rare are the afflictions of the faints from being marks of his wrath, that they are the fruits and evidences of his fatherly love.

Twomenwalking through the ſtreets, ſee acompanyofboys fighting, one of them ſteps forth, and ſingles out one of thoſe boys, and carries him home to correct him ; which of the two, thinkyou, is that child's father ?

The cafe ſtandingthus with

VOL. VII.

Ggg

The Balm of the Covenant allGod's people, ſurely there is no reaſon for their deſponden. cies whatever their afflictions be.

Arg. VII. Lastly, The covenant doth not only diſcover the confiſtence and connection betwixt the love and the rodofGod, but it alſo gives full fatisfaction to the faints, that whatsoever contemporary mercy they are deprived of, which was within thebond of the covenant whentheyenjoyed it, is not loſt, but ſhall certainly be restored to them again with a rich improve ment, and that they ſhall enjoy it again to all eternity.

What a rare model or platform of confolatory arguments hath the apoſtle laiddown to antidote our immoderate forrows, for thedeath of our dear relatives which died interested in Chrift and the covenant !

1.Theff. iv. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. " 1

" would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them " which are aſleep," they are notdead, but aſleep.

Sleep is but a parentheſis tothe labours and travels of this life ; andit is but a partial privation, notof the habit, but acts of reaſon, towhich, upon awaking, the foul returns again.

Juſt ſuche thing is that which in believers is commonly calleddeath. And wedonot uſe to bewail our friends, because they are fallen aleep: and therefore itnoway becomes us to forrow as thoſe thathave no hope, nor to look upon them as loft ; for as he ſtrongly argueth and concludeth (ver. 14.) their restoration to their bodies, yea, andto our enjoyment again, is fully fecured both to themand us by the refurrection of Jeſus from thedead.

The influence of his refurrection isby the prophet Ifaiah compared to the morning-dew, lſa. xxvi. 19. to ſhew that what virtue there is in the morning-dew, to cauſe the languiſhing plants of the earth to revive and flourish, that, and much more, there is in the refurrection of Chriſt, to revive and quicken the dead bodies of theſe ſaints ; their bodies ſhall be reſtored by virtue of the warm animating dew or influence of his refur rection.

Objection. But the marvellous change which the refurrection makes upon glorified bodies, and the long feparation of many ages betwixt us and them, ſeems to make it impoſſible for us to know them, as thoſe that were once related to us uponearth; and, if fo, then that comfort which reſultedfrom them, as in relation to us, is periſhedwith them at death.

Solution. Whatever change the reſurrection ſhall make on their bodies, and the length of timebetwixt our parting with them on earth, and meeting them again in heaven ſhall be; neither theone or other ſeem fufficient to destroy the grounds of ourhope, that we shall knowthem to be thevery perfons

applied to afflicted Saints.

that were once ſodear to us upon earth.

There may remain fome lineament or property of inviduation, whereby the acute glorified eye may poſſibly discover who they were ; or if not, yet none candoubt but it may be diſcovered to usby revelation fromGod ; and that one way or other it will be diſcovered, is highly probable, becauſe nothing willbedenied to that perfect ſtate which maycontribute to, or complete the joy and happineſs thereof, as we cannot but think this knowledge willdo If Adam knew Eve to be eſh of his fleth, and bone of his bone, in the ſtate of innocence ; and if the apostles knew Moſes and Elias upon the mount, yea, if Dives in hell knew Abraham and Lazarus inheaven; ſurewe may well allow that knowledge to the glorified ſaints inheaven, which we find in the ſtate of innocence, or inthe ſinful ſtate on earth, or in the ſtate of the damned inhell.

And if fo, then the covenanted parents ſhall be able tofay in thatday, this was our child for whom we prayedand travelled again, till Chriſt was formed in him; this is he whom we educated forGod, and trainedup in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; and now we fee the fruit of our prayers, counſels, catechiſings ; a child of fo many prayers periſhed not.

And the covenanted child ſhall ſay, this was my pious Father, who took ſuch care for my foul; and this my tender mother, who, like another Monica, was zealouſly concerned for my eter-

nal happiness.

These are they that ſowed ſo manyprayers, whichGod gavethem nottime to reap the fruits of on earth,

: but now they ſhall reap the fruit and comfort of them for ever.

O joyful meeting inthe kingdom ofGod ! The joy of ſuch a meeting abundantly recompenfes for allthe tears andgroans of adolorous parting.

Now, put all this together, and value the arguments producedtomake good the first thing propounded, namely, the fufficiency of the covenant torelieve and remedy all the forrows and loſſes of believers, be they never ſo many, or ſo great ; this cannot bedoubted, ſince it hath been proved, that it difarms all their afflictions of the only ſting bywhich theywound; alters the very nature and property of their afflictions, turning them from curſes into bleſſings ; ranks and disposes them into their proper claſs and place of ſervice, ſo as the counſel ofmen and angels could never laythembetter to our advantage; engages thegracious and ſpecial preſence ofGod with you in all your troubles ; fecures all your eſſential and ſubſtantial mercies from allhazards andcontingencies; diſcovers a confiftency, yea,

Ggg 2

The Balm of the Covenant aconnectionbetwixt therodandthe loveofGod; andaffuret you, that whatever temporal mercy you ever enjoyed, in and by virtue of the covenant, ſhall be reſtored toyou again with an admirable improvement, and fingular advantage.

It is by all this, I say, abundantly proved, that the covenant is a fove reign and effectual remedy to all the ſorrows of God's people; andthat itwas no hyperbole in David's encomium, whenhe cal led it hisfalvation, and allhis defire.

But then, as hinted before.

II. It must be able todo theſe things at all times, andinall ages, or elfe it willbe but a temporary relief to fomeonly, and not to all. Now, that the covenant hath this ability in allages, and is as able to relieve us now, as itwas to relieve David in hisday, fully appears by the epithetgiven itin the text, itis an EVERLASTING COVENANT . " Yet hath " he made with me an everlasting covenant."

Time is the meaſure of other things; but everlastingneſs is the meaſure of the covenant.

When the Lord eſpouſeth a people tohimself in covenant, "he betrothes them to himself for " ever," Hof. ii. 19. And from that day forward they may fay ongoodgrounds, "ThisGod is our God for ever and ever;

" hewill be ourguide even untodeath," as it is in Pfai. xlvii.

14.

Nothingin nature is ſo firmlyeſtabliſhed as the covenant is. Hills andmountains ſhall ſooner ſtart from their baſis and centre, and by like wandering atoms up anddown in the air, than this covenant ſhall Hart from its fure and ſtedfaft foundation, Iſa. liv. ιο,

The caufes and reaſons of the immutability of the newco venant, are, 1. The unchangeable purpoſe of God, which isa fure and ſtedfaſt foundation, 2 Tim. ii. 29. " Nevertheless, the founda

" tion of God ſtandeth fure, having this ſeal, theLord knoweth " them that are bis."

The firſt act of God's love to the crea ture, is thatbywhich he chuſeth ſuchaone to be his, andis therefore calledthe foundation ofGod, as being that on which helays the ſuperſtructure of all other mercies. And this ſtands fure, there canbe vacillancy or flipperineſs inſuch afoundation; for he knows whoare his ; he knows them ashis creatures, and ashis new-creatures in covenant with him; as his by election, andhis by covenant-trapfaction and compact.

The purpoſe of hisgracebefore time, gave being to the covenant of gracein time, and is the foundation of it.

2. The free grace ofGod in Chriſt, is thatwhich gives immutability to this covenant.

It is not builtuponworks, bat

applied to afflicted Saints.

grace: " Therefore it is offaith, that it mightbebygrace ; to " the end the promiſe might be ſure to all the feed," Rom. iv.

16.

Thiscovenant is notfounded as the firſt was, uponthe variableand inconſtant obedience of man, but upon grace, which is a ſteddy and firm foundation of it.

3. The furetiſhip of Chriſt gives everlasting ſtability to this covenant, Heb. vii. 22. " He was made * the ſurety of abetter teftament," or covenant : For διαθηκη ſignifies both; he ſtruck hands, or engaged himself for the whole covenant, and every condition in it, andthat both onGod's part andours ; to undergo allour punishments, to pay all our debts, and towork in us all that Godrequiredof us in the covenant ofgrace :

Andallthis under the penalty that lay upon us to have undergone. Andthis not as other ſureties, who enter intooneand the famebond with the principal, ſothat the creditor may come uponwhich he will: buthe lays all upon Chriſt, and relies whollyupon him for fatisfaction, knowing he was able to performit ; and ſo under the type of God'scovenantwithDavid,

Chriſt is brought in, Pfal. lxxxix. 19. "Thou ſpakeſt inviſion " tothy holyOne, and ſaidſt, Ihave laid help on onewho is

" mighty:" q.d. I know thy ability, mySon, thou art able to payme, and therefore I lay alluponthee.

Itfollows ſtrongly from whathath been faid, that the virtue of the covenant decays not by time, as other things do, but it is at this day, and will be to the end of the world, as potent and efficacious a relief to allGod's people, as ever it was to David, or any of the believers of the firſt ages.

And if fo, certainlynothingcanbe more ſtrongly ſupporting, or ſweetly relieving in ſuch a changeable world than this, he hathmade withme aneverlasting covenant. WhatDavid ſpeaks of the natural heavens, will be found true, of things over- " ſpread and covered by them, Pfal. cii. 26, 27.

They ſhall " periſh, but thou ſhalt endure and all of them ſhallwaxold " like a garment; and as aveſture ſhalt thou change them,

" andthey ſhallbe changed. But thou art the fame, andthy "years ſhall have no end."

The creature was, and is not; but my covenant God is the fame; his name is Iam, and his covenant istheſamethat ever itwas , which isthe ſecondpropertyor ingredient of this complete remedy to the faints afflictions.

The covenant hath not only all power, virtue, and efficacyin itſelf to relieve a diſtreſſed Chriſtian, but it hath it in う * Εγτυος, from εγraw which ſignifies to ſtrike hands, εν γυιούς

The Balm of the Covenant allages, as well for one as for another.

The third and laſt follows, namely, G III. That it is afure covenant : So David ſtiles it in my text.

The certainty of the covenant is the glory of the covenant, and the comfort of all that are in it.

The certainty of it in itſelf is paſt alldoubt, by what hath been ſaid before.

It iscertainGoddid make ſuch an everlasting covenant with his people in Chriſt, and itmust remain an eternal truth, that ſuch

Y acovenant there is betwixtGod and them.

It is as impoſſible that this everlasting covenant ſhould notbe made with them, as it is impoſſible forGod to lie, Heb. vi. 18.

If he might make himſelf not to have covenanted everlastingly with them when oncehehadfo covenanted, ſuch a ſuppoſition would destroy the foundation of all faith and certainty, and overthrow the apoſtle's conſequence on which the faith and comfort of be, lievers is built. Nor is itany infringementof the Almighty power, to ſay,Godhimself cannot do that which implies a plain contradiction, as factum infectum reddere, to make that which wasdone, not tobedone.

But of this there is nodoubt ; it is a fure covenant in itſelf.

Thatwhich makes to my purpoſe here, is to prove it capable of perſonal ſecurity and certainty to us. David had, and all the federates, as well as he, may have aſubjective or perfonal certaintyalfo.

He speaks categorically and poſitively in the text, " Yet hath he made [with me] an everlasting covenant."

Objection. If itbe ſaid, he might haveaperſonal certainty of it, becauſe it was revealed to him in an extraordinary way by the prophet Nathan, 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13, 14. and extraordinaria non currunt in exemplum, this was a peculiar favour, whichwe may not expect.

Solution. I reply, andwhymaynot weknow it with as foll acertainty towhomGod is pleaſed tomake it known in his ordinaryway ? Think you his word and Spirit cannot ratify it as fullyand firmly toour souls, as Nathan's diſcovery of itdid to David'sfoul ? Godgive me butſuch aſeal of it in his ordinary method and wayof confirmation, and I will defire no more of him in this world for my relief and comfort, whatever afflic tions it thall pleaſe him to lay upon me.

Andthus you fee all the properties of acomplete remedy in thecovenant, and of it every believer may ſay, " This is all

66 my falvation, andall mydefire, though he makenotmyhouſe " togrow." And nowwhathinders, but thatallGod's afflic ted ſhouldfay from henceforth, "Return unto thy reſt, O my

" foul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee," Pfal.

applied to afflicted Saints.

cxvi. 7.

I have allthe deſires of myheart in the covenantof God, though he take away the defire of mine eyes upon earth with his ſtroke.

In this covenant my foul is at reſt, and my very heart is centred. No affliction can be great enough to make the conſolations of the Almighty ſem ſmall in mineeyes,

Worldly forrows may ſwallow up worldly comforts, but no forrows upon earth can ſwallow up the confolations of the covenant.

I know many Chriſtians droop and are dejected under the rod, notwithstanding ſuch ſovereign cordials are prepared for them in the covenant; but this is not for want of efficacy in the covenant, but for want of faith to clear their intereſt, and draw forth the virtue of it to their relief.

Some are ignorant of their privileges, and others diffident about their intereſt.

It is with many ofGod's children, as it iswith our children in their infancy, they know not their father, nor the inheritance they arebornunto.

That which remains, isthe improvementof this truth toour actual comfort and relief in the day of trouble.

And this I ſhall aſſiſt you in, asGod ſhall aſſiſt me, byway of, 1. Information.

2. Exhortation.

3. Examination, and 4. Confolation.

USE 1. For information, in three corollaries.

Corollary 1. By what hath been diſcourſed from this text, it appears, That God governs the spiritual part of the world by faith, andnot byfense. Hewill have them live upon his covenantandpromises, and fetch their relief andcomfort thence, underalltheirforrows anddiſtreſſes in this life.

God never intended temporal things for his people's portion, therefore from them they must not expect their relief in times of trouble. He will have us read his love tous by things withinus, not by things without us.

He hath other ways of expreffinghis love tohis people, than by the ſmiles of his providenceupon them. How would earthly things be overvalued and idolized, if beſides their conveniency toour bodies, they ſhould be the marks and evidences of God's love to our fouls ! A Chriſtian is to value himſelf as the merchant, or the husbandmandoth.

The merchant values himself by his bills and goods abroad, not by the ready caſh that lies by him.

Andthe hufbandman by his deeds and leaſes, and ſo many acres of corn he hath in theground, and knows he hath a good eftate, though ſometimes he be not able to command twenty ſhillings.

Chri-

The Balm of the Covenant ſtian, thyeſtate alſo lies ingood promiſes, andnew-covenant ſecurities, whether thou haft more or leſs of earthly comforts in thyhands.

Every creature feeds according toits nature; the fame plant affords food to ſeveral forts of creatures : Thebee feeds upon the flower, the sheep upon the branch, the bird uponthe feed, and the ſwine upon the root. One cannot live upon what the other doth .

So it is here : A Chriſtian can feedupon the pro miſes, and make a ſweet meal upon the covenant, which the carnal mind cannot relim. " The life that I now live, I live

" by the faith of the Son ofGod;" faith the apostle, Gal. ii.

21.

This is that mysterious and excellent life of faith, and the teſt of true Chriſtianity, to relieve ourſelves by our hopes of things to come, againſt preſent evils; to balance the forrows and loſſesof this life, with the promises and expectations of the next. Thus did the renowned believers of the firſt age ; whenever they felt a pang or qualm upon their hearts, under their trialsandforrows from the world, they would preſently run to their cordial, the promises, and, by faith, from thence would refresh and invigorate their ſouls with new life and power.

" We faint not, whilft we look not at the things which are " ſeen, for they are temporal ; but at the things which are not " ſeen, for they are eternal," 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17, 18. And tru ly ſo muſt we alſo, whenour hearts are faint within us in days of affliction, or our ſpirits will fail, and we shall go away in a faintfit of deſpondency.

Corol. 2. Learn hence thefovereign efficacy of the word, and whata choice privilege it is tohave theje lively oracles of God in ourhands, inaday of distress andtrouble.

It is no ordinary mercy tobe born in aland of Bibles and miniſters; tohave theſe choice ſupports and reliefs at hand, in all ourfainting hours. " This is my comfort in myaffliction, for " thy word hath quickened me," Pfal. cxix 50.

It was no ſmall mercy gained by the reformation, that itputthe oraclesof God into our hands.

It affords us many cordials for the fupport of our fouls.

For this, among other great and excellent uſes, the ſcriptures werewritten, " Thatwe, through patience,

" and comfort of the ſcriptures, might have hope," Rom xv.

Inother parts of the world, it is a ſealedbook ; bleſsGod it isnotſo toyou. Allcreature-comforts have adouble detect, they are neither ſuitable nor durable ; but the word is ſo.

Compare the arguments that have been urged from the covenant, with fuch as theſe. Itis invain to trouble ourſelves about

applied to afflicted Saints.

what we cannot help : We are not alone introuble, othershave their loff's and afflictions as well as we.

Alas ! what dryand ineffectual comforts are theſe ! they penetrate not the heart, as pardon of fin, peace withGod, and ſanctification of troubles to our ſalvation do.

And no leſs is the mercyof an able New-teſtament miniſtry, to open, apply, and inculcate the confolations of the ſcriptures, to be eſteemed.

It is no common favour to the afflicted foul, tohave with ornearhim an " Interpreter, oue among a thou- " ſand, to ſhew untohim his uprightness," Job xxxiii. 23. O

England, prize and improvetheſe mercies, andprovoke not thy God to bereave thee of them.

Ican find no ſuch ſettlement made of the gospel and miniſtry upon any place or people, but that Godmay remove both upon their abuſe of them and it hedo, ſad will the case of ſucha people be, eſpecially when aday of diſtreſs and trouble ſhall be upon them.

It is ſad to be in a ſtorm at ſea, without a compaſs or pilot to direct and advise the diſtreſſedpaſſengers.

Much ſo is the case of the afflicted, whendeprived of the word and miniſtry.

Let it therefore be your care tohide theword inyourhearts, and get the teachings of the Spirit; that whatever changes of providence be upon the world, you may have the light and comfort of the ſcriptures to direct and cheer your fouls. Sanc- -tification isthewriting of God's law in your hearts ; and what iswrittenthere is ſecureand ſafe.

The word within you is more ſecure, ſweet, and effectual, thanthe word withoutyou.

Jerom faithof Nepotianus, that by long and affiduous meditation of the ſcriptures, hisbreaſtwas at laſtbecome the library of Chriſt. Othat the breast of every Chriſtianwere ſo too.

Corol. 3. How fadand deplorably miferable is their condition, who haveno title to, nor comfort from the covenant ofGod, when aday of affliction andgreat diſtreſs is upon them!

Unrelieved miſeries are the moſt intolerable miſeries . Tobe over-weighed with troubles on earth, and want ſupport and comfort fromheaven, is adiſmal ſtate indeed; yet this is the caſe of multitudes in the world.

If a believer be in trouble, hisGod bears his burden for him, yea, he bears up him and his burden too ; buthe that hath nocovenant-intereſt inGod, muſt ſay as it is, Jer.x. 19. " This is myaffliction, and I alone

" muſt bear it."

There arebut two ways theycan take for relief, either to divert their troubles by that which will inflame them, or reft

VOL. VII.

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The Balm of the Covenant their burdened ſpiritsupon that which will fail them. To run to the tavern or ale-houſe, insteadof the clofet, is to quench the fire by pouring on oil ; and to run from one creature which is ſmitten and withered, to another which ſtill continues with us, is to lean upon a broken reed, which not only deceives us, but wounds and pierceth us What a miferable plight was Saul in, and how doleful was his cryand complaint to Samuel,

I Sam. xxviii. 15. " I am fore diſtreſſed, for the Philistines " make war against me, andGod is departed from me, and an " ſwereth me no more."

Heaven and earth forfook him at Reader, if this be thy cafe, I advise thee to reſt no longer in fo miferable a condition. Thy very diſtreſs ſeems by an happy neceffity to put thee uponGod, and drive thee to him forte fuge; and it seems to be the very aim and deſign of God in blafting allthy earthly comforts, to neceffitate thee to cometo him, which thou wouldst never be perfuaded to do, whillt thou hadſt any creature-prop to ſtay and reſt upon.

And think not that thou shalt be rejected, becauſe thou art brought bya plainneceffity to him ; come ſincerely, and thou shalt not be upbraided, becauſe a neceffity threw thee upon him.

USE II. Seeing then thatthecovenant of God is the great relief and ſupport of allhis afflicted people, let the afflicted toul goto this bleſſed covenant; ſtudy and apply it in all diſtreffes.

It is in itſelf a ſovereign cordial, able to revivea gracious ſpirit atthe loweſt ebb; but then it must be ſtudied and applied, or itwill never give forth its confolations toourrefreshment.

Ex treme forrows are apt todeafen our ears to allvoicesofcomfort.

The loud cries ofaffliction too oftendrown the ſweet ſtill voice of ſpiritual confolation ; but either here orno where our redreſs is to be found. Why ſeek we the living among the dead!

Comfort fromthings thatcannot yield it ? The covenant can diſcover two things which are able to pacify the moſtdiſcom poſed heart, viz.

2. The end } of affliction .

1. It willdiſcover to us the good of affliction, and ſo rectify ourmistaken judgments about it. God is not undoing but con ſulting our intereſt and happiness in all theſe difpenfations,

It will fatisfy us, that in all theſe things he doth no more than what we ourſelves allow and approve in other cafes. It is not merely from his pleaſure, but for our profit, that thefe breaches are made upon our families and comforts, Heb. xii. 10.

Who blames the mariner for cafting the goods over-boardto lave ſhipand life in a ſtorm ? or the furgeon forlancing, yea,

applied to afflicted Saints.

orcuttingoff a leg or arm to preſerve the life of his patient ? or foldiers for burning or beating down the fuburbs, to save the city ina ſiege? Andwhy muſt God only be cenſured, for cutting off thoſe things from us which he knows will hazard us in theday of temptation ? He sees the leſswe have of entanglement, the more promptneſs and fitneſs we shall have to go through the trials that are coming upon us ; and that all the comforts he cuts off from our bodies, are for the profit and advantae of our fouls.

2. Here you gain a fight not only of the good of affliction, but alſo of the comfortable end and iſſue of affliction.

This cloudy and ſtormy morning willwind up in a ſerene and pleaſant evening.

There is a vaſt difference betwixt our meeting with afflictions, and our parting from them, " You have heard of " the patience of Job, and have ſeen the endof the Lord." O get but Job's ſpirit under affliction, andyou may fee as happy an end of them as he did.

HadNaomi ſeen the end of the Lord in taking away herhufband, and ſtarving her out of Moab, ſhe would not have changed her name, or ſaid the Lord had dealt bitterly with her, in grafting her daughter by that providence into the noble line, out of which the Saviour of the world was to rife; and could you but ſee that good inorder to which all this train of trou- -bles is laid, you would not murmur ordeſpond as you do.

Objection 1. O but this is a grievous ſtroke; God hath ſmitten me in theapple of mine eye, and written bitter things againſt me. No forrow is like my forrow ; it is a mourning for an only fon ; I have lost all inone.

Solution 1. You can never lose all in one, except that onebe Chriſt ; andhe being your's incovenant, cannever be loſt. But your meaning is, you have lost all of thatkind in one, no more ſons to build up your houſe, and continue your name.

2. But yet religion will not allow you to say that your dead childrenare a loſt generation. Praemittuntur, non amittuntur :

They are fent before, but not loſt.

For they are a covenantſeed, by you dedicated to the Lord: They were children of many prayers ; a great ſtock of prayers was laid up for them ; in them alſo you, and all thatknew them, difcerned a teachable ſpirit, pious inclinations, and confcience of ſecret duties, ſome good things towards the LordGod of Ifrael, as was faid of young Abijah, 1 Kings xiv. 13. So that you parted from them upon far eaſier terms than good David parted from his Amnon,

Abfalom, orAdonijah, who died in their fins and open rebel Hhh2

The Balm of the Covenant lions.

There wasa ſting inhis troubles which you feel not and if he comforted himself, notwithstanding, in the covenant of hisGod, in this reſpect you may much more.

Object. 2. Obut my fonwas cut offin the verybud,juſtwhen the fruits of education were ready todiſcloſe andopen.

Sol. Let not that confideration ſoincenſeyour forrows ; God knows the fittest time both togive and to take our comforts; and ſeeing you havegoodgrounds to hope your childdied inte reſted inthe covenant of God, you have the leſs reaſon to in filt upon that afflicting circumstance of animmature death. He thatdies in Chriſt,hath lived longenoughboth for himselfand us.

That mariner hath failedlong enough that hath gained his port; and that foldier fought long enough that hath won the victory; andthat childlived long enough, that hath won heaven, how early ſoever he died.

Beſide, the fooner he died, the leſs ſin he hath committed, and the leſs mifery he ſaw and felt inthiswretchedworld, which weare left tobehold and feel.

And it is but avanity to imagine that theparting pull with himwouldhave been eafier, if the enjoymentof him had been longer : For the long enjoyment of defireable comforts doth not use toweaken, but abundantly to ſtrengthen andfaftenthe ties of affection.

Submit your reaſon therefore, as is meet, to the wisdom of God, who certainly choſe the fitteſt ſeaſon for this affliction.

Obut, No more buts and objections, I beſeech you.

Enough hath been offered from the covenant of your God, to Silence allyour objections, and togive you the eaſeand pleafure of a reſigned will. And what are all our buts and objections, but a ſpurning at divine ſovereignty, and the thrusting in the afflictiondeeper intoyour own hearts, which arewoundedbut toodeep already ?

Iperfuadeyou nottoputoff, but to regulate natural affec tions : To be without them, would deſervedly rank us among theworstof heathens; but rightlytobound and managethem, would ſet you among the beſt of Chriſtians.

I cannot imaginewhat eaſe or advantage holy * Bafil gained byſuch a particular and heart-piercing account, as he gave ofa like affliction with this ; nor towhat purpoſe itcan beto you, to recal and recount thoſethingswhich only incenſe and aggravate your troubles : Doubtless, your better way were to tura your thoughts from ſuch ſubjects as theſe; toyourGod in co

* I oncehada ſon (ſaidhe), who was a young man, my only fucceſſor, the ſolace of my age, the glory of his kind, the prop ofmy family, arrived to the endearing age, &c.

applied to afflicted Saints.

venant, asDavid in the text did, and to recount the manygreat and inestimable mercies that are ſecured to you therein, which death ſhall never ſmite, or cut off fromyou, as it doth your other enjoyments.

Quest. But yet unleſs we can in ſome meaſure clear ourcovenant-intereſt, all theſe excellent cordials prepared, will fignify no more toour relief, than water ſpiltupon the ground : Help us thereforetodo that, or elſe allthat hath been ſaid is in vain?

Howmay a perſon diſcern his covenant-right and intereſt ?

Anfw. This indeed is worthy of all confideration, and deferves a ſerious anſwer, foraimuch as it isfundamental toyour comfort, and all actual refreshment in times of trouble; and will bring us to the nextuſe, which is for trial of our covenant intereſt.

USE III. The greatqueſtion tobedecided, is, whetherGod beourcovenant God, and we his people ? A queſtion of the moſt tolemn nature, and ſuch as requires awful attention.

We cannot expect fatisfaction in this matter by ſuch anextraordinary way asDavid had it, butwe mayknowitby,

First, Our covenant-engagements.

Secondly, Our covenant-impreſſions, Thirdly, Our covenant-converſations.

First, By our covenant-engagements, or dedications of ourſelves to God ; ſometimes called ourjoining ourselves to the Lord, Zech. ii. 11. our yielding ourſelves tohim, Rom. vi. 19. ourgiving ourſelves to him, 2 Cor. viii. 5.

The foul that freely and deliberately conſentstotakeorchuſethe Lord tobe hisGod, may warrantably conclude the Lord hath taken or choſenhim: for our choice ofGod is but the reſultof his choice of us,

John xv. 16. " You have not choſen me, but I have choſen " you ; " (i. e.) you could never have choſen me, but inconſequence to, andby virtue of my first choice of you .

Well then, let itbe ſeriouſly confidered, whether you have duly conſented to take the Lord for your God, and Chriftfor your Redeemer.

This includes twothings in it.

1. Your relinquiſhing of all things inconſiſtent with him.

2. Youracceptation of all that promotes the glory and enjoyment of him.

1. Your relinquiſhing of all things thatare inconſiſtent with an intereſt inhim.

Except we let theſe go, Godcannot be our God, nor Chriſt our Redeemer.

The things to be relinquished for Chriſt are, in ſhort, both ourfinful, and our righteous

Jelf.

Sinful-felf must be diſclaimed and renounced :

For we cannotbe the ſervants of fin, and the ſervants of Chrift too,

The Balm of the Covenant Rom. vi. 14, 18. Andrighteous-felf mult be renounced alſo, or we can have no part or intereſt in his righteouineſs, Rom. x.

Theſe are two difficult points of ſelf-denial, to part with every beloved luſt, and to give up our own righteouineſs.

Thousands chuſe rather to be damned for ever, than to do eitherof theſe.

2. Your acceptance and embracing of allthings that promote his glory, and further the enjoyment of him. As all the painfulways of duty, hearing, praying, meditating, and all this with the intention of the inner-man, and offering up of the foul toGod in theſe duties; and the more painful ways of fuffering for God, and enduring all loſſes, reproaches, torments, and death for him, if his glory requires it, and you maybe thereunto called.

All this is included in your chulingGod to beyourGod. And upon our understanding and free confent, and fealing to theſe articles, we have right to callhim ourGod.

Matth. xxi. 24. " If any man will come after me, let him denyhimself, and take up his croſs and follow me."

Now, have you confidered the terms of the covenant, weighed and balanced allthe conveniencies and inconveniencies of godliness, and then determined for Chriſt and holiness, letthe coſtbe what itwill ; then you havechoſen him aright for yourGod.

Many think they have choſenGod for theirGod, that never underſtood or deliberated theſe terms.

But non confentit, quinon fentit: He that neither knows nor ponders them, is not capable ofgiving adueconſent.

Secondly, We maydiſcern our covenant-intereſt, in the covenant-impreffions that are made upon our fouls.

All God's covenant-people have adouble mark or impreſſion made upon them, viz.

J. Upon their minds.

2. Upon their hearts.

1. Upon their minds, in a more ſpiritual and efficacious knowledge of God, Jer. xxxi. 33. "They ſhall all know me,

" from the greatest of them, even to the leaſt of them." This knowledge is faid to be given, not acquiredby mere ſtrength of natural abilities and human aids ; and given as in the faceof

Chrift, notby the footsteps of the creatures only, as he ſpeaks, 2Cor. iv. 6.

It is the choice teaching of the anointing, 1 John ii. 27. A knowledge ſpringing from inward experience and ſpiritual ſenſe ; as we know the ſweetness of honeyby tafting, better thanbyallthe deſcriptions andreports that can be made of it.

2. Upon their hearts, inthat gracious tenderness and melt-

applied to afflicted Saints.

ingsof itfor fin, orthediſcoveries of free-grace in the pardon of it.

So you read in Ezek. xxxvi . 26. " A new heart alſo " will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you, and " I will take away the ſtonyheart out of your fleſh, and I will

" giveyou an heart of flesh."

It is as eaſy tomelt the obdurate rocks into ſweet ſyrup, as it is to meltthe natural heart into apenitential and tender melting for fin ; but now there is a principle or habit of tenderneſs implanted inthe foul, whereby it isdiſpoſed and inclined to relent and thaw ingenuously upon any juſt occafion.

Thirdly, Our covenant-intereſt may be evinced in andby our covenant-conversations.

All the knowledge which is communicated to our minds, and all the tenderness given to our hearts, do reſpectand tend tothis : Ezek. xxxvi. 27. " I will

" put my Spirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my ſta-- " tutes."

Habits and principles are for action and practice :

Grace in the heart is for obedience and holiness of life.

It is true, that as ourgraces are imperfect, ſo is ourobedience alfo.

Perfect working is not to be expected from imperfect creatures.

God's own covenanted people do often grieve him, and provoke him tobring them under therod of affliction ; but thoſe their infirmities break not the bond of the covenant, Pfal.

Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32.

Care and watchfulness ordinarilygo before them, conflicts and reſiſtance accompany them, and ſhame, grief, and renewed care, uſually follow them, 2 Cor. vii. 11 .

By theſe things (which deſerves a more copious diſcourſe than mypreſentdeſign canallow) we may be helped to clear our intereſt inthe covenant of grace : Andthatbeingdone, it ſhouldbe out of the power of all the afflictions intheworld to fink your ſpirits.

Let me therefore in the laſt place add, USE IV. A wordof confolation to your dejected and droopinghearts, upon this fad andmournful occafion. Why are you ſo troubled ? And why do thoughts ariſe in your hearts ? Methinks there hath been so much of ſupport and comfortalready discovered toyou in this bleſſed covenant, that could your faith butonce fix upon it, and realize and apply it, I might laydown my pen at this period, and ſay, The work is done, there needs nomore ; butknowing how obſtinate deep forrows are, andhow difficult a task the comforting of an afflicted mind is, I will, for acloſe, ſuperadd a few confiderations more, to all that hath beenurged andargued before .

Confideration 1. Confider how ſmall and trivial the comforts, whoſe loſs you bewail, are in comparison with Jetus Chrift, who is ſtill yourown, under the bond of a fure covenant. A

The Balm of the Covenant fon, an only and a promiſing ſon, is a great thing, when he ſtands in comparison with other creature-comforts, but furely he will feem a fmall thing, and next to nothing, when fet by, or compared with Jeſus Chriſt.

Behold the Father, Son, and Spirit !

Pardon and eternal ſalvation are this day presented in the covenant of grace before your ſouls, as your own.

" even our own God, ſhall bleſs us," Pfal. lxvii. 6. you feel your hearts wounded with fuch athought as "God, When this, I cannot embrace my children in my arms, they are now out of my reach ; thenbleſs and admireGod, that the arms of your faithcanembrace ſogreat, ſo glorious aSaviour, and that you can ſay, "My beloved is mine, and Iam his."

Confid. II. Conſider what evil days are comingon, andwhata mercy it is toyourdead, thatGodhath taken them away from theevil to come, Ifa. lvii. 1, 2. There are two forts of evils to come, viz. Evils offin, and evils ofsufferings ; and it is no ſmall favour tobe ſet out of thewayof both. The grave is the hiding-placewhereGodſecuresſome fromthedangersofboth.

We are apt to promife ourſelves times of tranquillity, and then it cuts us to think that ourdear ones ſhallnot partake with us in that felicity: But if we wisely confider the fins or the ſignsof the times, wehave more cauſe to rejoice thatGod hath ſet them out of harm's way.

Allthings ſeem toconſpire andwork towards a day of great temptation and tribulation. Now as Chriſt told his diſciples, whowere ſodejected, becauſe he was toleave them, John xiv.

28. " If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, becauſe I faid, I go " to the Father :" So trulyyou would much better expreſs and manifeſt your love to your children, in your fatisfaction inthe will and appointment ofGod, intaking them into reſt and ſafety, than in your dejections and forrows fortheir removal Surely they are better where they are, than where theywere, whom

Godhath houſed in heaven out of the ſtorinand tempeſt. And couldyour dead friends that are with Chriſt, have anymore intercourſe with this world, and fee your tears, and hear your fighs for them, they would say to you, as Chriſt did to thoſe that followed himwailing and mourning, Weep not for us, but for yourſelves, and ſuch as remain in theworld with you, to fee and feel the calamities that are coming on it.

Confid. III. Confider how near you are to that bleſſed ſtate yourſelves, where Godshallbe all in all, and you ſhall feel no want of any creature-comfort, I Cor XV 28.

Creature-comforts are only accommodated comforts to this animal life we now live, but ſhortly there will be no need of

applied to afflicted Saints.

them; forGod will be all in all; That is, all the faints ſhall be abundantly fatisfied in and withGod alone. As there is water enough in one fea to fill all the rivers, lakes, and ſprings in the world: And light enough in one fun to enlighten all the inhabitants of the world : So there is enough in oneGod eternally to fill and fatisfy all the bleſſed ſouls in heaven, without the addition of anycreature-comfort. God is complete fatisfaction to all the faints in the abſence (I cannot ſaywant) of wives and children, meats and drinks, eſtates and ſenſitive pleaſures :

There will be no more need of theſe things, than of candles at noon-day. You shall be as the angels ofGod, who haveno concernment for relations.

Your fulness of years, infirmities of body, and, I hope, I may add, your improvements in grace, ſpeak you not far ſhort of this bleſſed ſtate: And though you mayfeem to need theſe comforts in theway, yourGod thall fupply all yourwants.

Confid. IV. To conclude, Whatfoeveryour troubles, wants, fears, or dangers are, ormay be inyour paffage to thisbleſſed flate, the covenant of grace is your ſecurity, and by virtue thereof your troubles ſhall open and divide, as Jordan did, to giveyou a fafe paſſage into your eternal reft.

Look, as when the fraelites camenear the land of promiſe, there was a ſwelling Jordan betwixt it andthem, which seemed to forbid their farther paſſage and progreſs ; but it is faid, Joſh. iii. 17. " The priests that bore the arkof the covenant of the " Lord, ſtood firm on the groundinthe midst of Jordan ; and " all the Ifraelites paſſedover ondry ground, until allthe peo- "plewere paffedclean over Jordan " Juſt ſo it is here: The covenantof grace ſtands on firmground, inthemidst ofall the deep waters of tribulation you are to paſs through, to ſecure unto you a ſafe paſſage through them all.

Rejoice, therefore, and triumph in the fulneſs and firmneſs of thisbleſſedcovenant, andwhatsoever affliction yourGod ſhallpleaſe to lay uponyou, orwhatsoever comforthe ſhall pleaſe to remove from you, ſtill

" Yet comfort and encourage yourſelves, as Davidheredoth, " hath he madewith me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all

" things, and ſure : For this is all myfalvation, and all myde " fire; althoughhe make itnot to grow."

VOL. VII.

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