tually, eminently, and transcendently in God, and he that hath him that hath all things, hath all things himself. * Secondly, because the covenant contains all mercies in itself; when any one enters into this covenant, behold a gad, a troop, a train of mercies attend upon him; the covenant is a blessed constellation, and all the stars of gospel promises do lend their aid to beautify the covenanted soul. Take a sample of the mercies of the covenant in both these respects, as 1. What God is to the soul, and so what mercies are bound up in the covenant; in this respect, 66 (1.) God stands in every endearing relation to those who are interested in his mercy, he is a father to them, 2 Cor. vi. 18; † a husband, " thy maker is thine husband," Isa. liv. 5; "a near and bosom friend," Jam. ii. 23. Abraham was called the friend of God, so consequently God was his friend; for this covenant begets and contracts the most endearing bond of intimate friendship betwixt God and the soul, and if there can be any other relation, that holdeth forth still more tenderness of affection; that and much more is God to the gracious soul, it" as one whom his mother comforteth, so," saith God, "will I comfort you," Isa. lxvi. 13, nay, the Scripture doth testify more affectionate workings in God's heart towards his people than can be found in the most indulgent parents to their natural offspring; sweetness of all relations proceeds from God, and therefore to be found in God; our relative affection is but a drop to this fountain, and our content in relations is no otherwise sweet than as flowing from him, or with relation to him. • Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia. + Psalm x. Matt. iii. 17. 1 Consult Isaiah xlix. 15, 16. Jer. xxxi. 20. (2.) God is all that is pleasant, desirable and honourable; hence, we are bidden to taste and see how good the Lord is, and to delight ourselves in the Lord, and are informed that at his right hand there are everlasting pleasures; * he, he alone, is the object and centre of our desires-he alone, is the rock and rest of the fluctuating soul; therefore, David doth charge his soul to return to God as his rest.† God only is the sabbath and solace of the Christian's soul. Communion with God is heaven in the heaven of heavens. No desires so insatiable but may be satisfied with an infinite God, if regularly carried out towards him. O what a blessed thing it is to have God to be the object of our delight! the God of heaven is the King of glory, and he alone is the glory of a people or an individual, ‡ the best ornament is to have a God in covenant, Isa. xxviii. 5, "when the glorious beauty shall be as a fading flower then shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory," instead of their crown of pride," and for a diadem of beauty to the residue of his people." blessed and beautiful ornament! O (3.) God is all that is required for safety and defence to his covenanted people. He is a sun and a shield; || a sun to direct in times of darkness, a shield to protect in times of danger. There are seven words, Ps. xviii. 2, that set forth this self-same thing: what a protection God is to a believer-a rock, a fortress, a deliverer, a strength, a buckler, the horn of his salvation, and his high tower. Every one of these hath its peculiar emphasis and significancy; I cannot take notice of them all, only hint at the first and last: a rock, you know, is a natural defence, a tower is an artificial defence; * Psal. xxxiv. 8. Psal. xxxvii. 4. Psal. xvi. 11. + Psal. cxvi. 7. || Psal. lxxxiv. 9-11. + Psal. iii. 3. Psal. xxiv. 10. God is both, in a sort, by way of covenant, in the first respect as our God and Creator, in the second as Godman, Mediator, appointed to be the only succour and shelter of fallen mankind; here we may be safe and free from the roaring lion, the raving bear and uncircumcised Philistine; he alone is a hiding-place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, " and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land," Isa. xxxii. 2. An admirable place you have Jer. xvii. 12, " a throne, a glorious throne, and a glorious high throne;" and this, "from the beginning is the place," not only of our defence, but "of our sanctuary." Every word hath its peculiar weight; who dare presume to meddle with a throne or to surprise a sanctuary? The glory whereof will affright and appal them; it is a high throne, how can they reach it? It is from the beginning, and to everlasting, and what mortal man can lay siege to this impregnable tower? The eternal God is the saints' refuge, and underneath them are everlasting arms; * therefore, are they safe from total falling, and fear of desperate evils. (4.) God is all that is necessary for profit, advantage, and usefulness to the saints. It is said, "money answers all things," but God is better, and more truly answers all things; as a precious saint used to say, God is good, when gold is gone; no gain in the world like that which God is to the soul-God is our riches, treasure, portion, inheritance, and our all in all. David saith, Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26, "whom have I in heaven but thee?" and then adds, "my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." God is fitly called the saints' portion, for he is so one saint's portion, as if he were no one's else, and yet entirely every one's, as if wholly theirs, as *Deut. xxxiii. 27. indeed he is, yet without division, partition, or diminution. That is a notable passage in the gospel covenant, at least one part of it, the mercy in it we are speaking of, Gen. xv. 1, “Fear not Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." First, thy reward, as if it were, as indeed it is, reward enough to have God, if we have nothing else. Secondly, a great reward worth speaking of, not an inconsiderable trifle, but a great reward. Thirdly, an exceeding great reward, no hyperbole can reach its import,* much less exceed it; none can express the goodness of God, but those that experience it, nor can they sufficiently declare it; but is he mine? Yes, Fourthly, by this covenant he is thy exceeding great reward. "Blessed are they that are in such a case-Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. † Thus I have shewed what God is. 2. I shall briefly particularize what God gives and grants to those who are in covenant with him; there are many benefits, and advantages, which are, indeed, rich covenant mercies. " for I will (1.) Pardon of sin, Jer. xxxi. 34, forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more;" and, O what a mercy is pardon of sin? ask David when he is roaring under his broken bones and disquiet spirit, whether pardon of sin be a mercy ?—he will answer yes; O yes, I know it, and could even envy the happiness of a pardoned sinner. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, yea, many times blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.”‡ This is a mercy that cost a great price, even the blood of the immaculate Lamb of God; it is a mercy that God shews for his own sake; a mercy that easeth the * Christus et cœlum non patiuntur hyperbolen. + Psal. cxliv. 15. Psal. xxxii. 1, 2, guilty soul of a heavy burden; a mercy that hath sweet and satisfying concomitants. O the riches of this mercy! (2.) God's favour, love, and tender compassion, Jer. xxxii. 40, 41, "I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good," as if he had said, now I am in covenant with them, I will seek and study in every way to promote their spiritual and eternal advantage; yea, and their temporal good also; I will be a fast and faithful friend to them; all my attributes shall contribute their assistance to forward the designs of mercy towards them, and what God doth for them is with his whole heart and with his whole soul-he will, in the relation of a father, take care of his children, and, is not that a mercy? (3.) Gospel ordinances, Ezek. xxxvii. 26, 27, "I will make a covenant of peace with them and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore my tabernacle, also, shall be with them," that is, they shall have the means of grace, the visible tokens of God's presence, and ways of and is not this a rich mercy? such in his banishment from communion with God; David looked upon it as David looked God's house, and every child of God prizeth it at a very high rate: this is one of the mercies of the covenant. (4.) Seasonable afflictions, with a sanctified use of them, Psal. lxxxix. 30, 32, 33, "if his children forsake my law then will I visit their transgressions with the rod." It is infinite mercy that God will take the pains to chasten his offending children; it is faithfulness to the great object of the covenant that God will fetch in his wandering sheep by the sharpest means; it is, as it were, a cruel mercy to let men alone in sin, that |