this branch with a poem of divine Herbert's called Death.*

Death, thou wast once an uncouth, hideous thing,
Nothing but bones,

The sad effect of sadder groans,

Thy mouth was open, but thou couldst not sing.

For we consider'd thee as at some six,

Or ten years hence,

After the loss of life and sense,

Flesh being turn'd to dust, and bones to sticks:

We look'd on this side of thee shooting short,
Where we did find

The shells of fledg'd souls left behind,
Dry dust, which sheds no tears, but may extort.

But since our Saviour's death did put some blood
Into thy face,

Thou art grown fair and full of grace,
Much in request, much sought for as a good.

For we do now behold thee gay and glad,
As at dooms-day;

When souls shall wear their new array,
And all thy bones with beauty shall be clad.

Therefore we can go die as sleep, and trust
Half that we have,

Unto an honest, faithful grave,

Making our pillows either down or dust.

Fourthly, An answer may be given to this question, How a believer, who is interested in these mercies, is to conduct himself? Though this be a necessary point, yet I must cut short on it, having insisted too long on the former particulars.

"This is a

1. Believe and receive these mercies. faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."-1 Tim. i. 15. Is it the proposition only that is to be credited, *The Church, page 180.

or embraced? Is it not Christ and the rest of the covenant mercies held forth in this precious maxim, which is the sweetest flower in the garden of Scripture, the choicest pearl in the word, and the most glorious star in the whole constellation of gospel promises? Who dares to doubt what God hath spoken? and who dares to refuse what God doth offer? He is so wise that he cannot be deceived, and he is so good that he will not deceive you; you may better believe God than your own sense;* give glory to him by embracing these mercies, deny or dispute no longer. Be not ungrateful for the grace of God, who has condescended so low as to give you evidence, on purpose that you may believe.

2. Improve these sure mercies, make use of them in all your particular necessities. If a man have a good spring he will make it serve for the convenient supply of many household wants, and convey it through several channels for a variety of uses; so a Christian must branch out the several mercies of the covenant to his diversified circumstances, as enlightening mercy for his darkness, enlivening mercy for his dullness, pardoning mercy in case of guiltiness, purifying mercy in case of strong corruptions-because God's grace is sufficient for us in all exigencies;† in all storms there is sea room enough in God's infinite mercy for faith's full sail; our God supplies all wants; ‡ religion is a spiritual bond to unite God and the soul together, and a Christian in the exercise of his religion singles out that in God which is needful for him on all ocsasions. The life of faith is a retailing of divine benefits; as the co

* De iis, quæ cognovit futuris et quæ adhuc sub visum non cadunt, tam certam habet persuasionem cognitione præditus, ut ea magis adesse putet, quam quæ sunt præsentia.-Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7.

+ 2 Cor. xii. 9.

Phil. iv. 19.

venant of grace gives a believer a title thereto, as it were, by wholesale. O let the heirs of promise improve these mercies.

less ?"

3. Be content with these mercies. They are sufficient to make you happy; seek not further to eke out your contentment in the creature, as though you had not enough in having these. What a strange expression is that of good Abraham, Gen. xv. 2, "Lord God," saith he, "what wilt thou give me seeing I go childGive him! why had not God given him himself, and was not that an exceeding great reward? verse 1; and could Abraham desire more? O yes; all this is nothing unless God give him a child-he takes no notice of this in comparison of a son. This is just our case. Let God give us himself and covenant mercies, we can overlook all these in our distempered fits, and look upon them as of no worth if he deny us some outward comfort that our hearts are set upon; but this is our sin and shame-cannot God himself content us? can we go from covenant mercies to mend ourselves with common mercies? nay, do we not thereby weaken our interest, disparage our portion, and provoke God to withdraw his help from us? Is not God a jealous God, and can he endure to have any rival in your affections.

4. Walk worthy of these sure mercies. O do not discredit them by your unsuitable carriage.* Live after the rate of heirs of promise; walk exactly, spiritually, self-denyingly and soul-resignedly; God hath given himself and these best blessings to you in mercy, O give yourselves and best services to God in a way of duty! if you give yourselves to God as a whole burnt offering,

* Cum id præstiterit gratia ut moreremur peccato, quid aliud faciemus si vivemus in eo, nisi ut gratiæ simus ingrati.-Aug. de Sp. et Lit. c. 6.

it is but a reasonable service, for he hath given you more than you can give back to him; * walk holily, steadily, cheerfully as becomes these mercies, do much for God who hath done so much for you; let nothing discourage or disquiet your spirits, since you have mercies, sure mercies to lodge in your bosoms. Why should that soul be sad that enjoyeth an interest in the Father of consolations, the Purchaser of salvation, and comforting Spirit? Sure mercies are calculated to create solid comfort and assurance for ever. O Christians, learn the lessons much inculcated, to walk worthy of your vocation and relation to God and his kingdom.†

5. Act as under obligation for these mercies. They cost Christ dear to purchase them, do not you think any thing too dear to do or endure for promoting or preserving of them; kindness is very endearing to a grateful heart; your pains cannot be spent to better purpose than in the cause of God; we must always be paying our debt, though we can never fully pay it, we must be behindhand with God, but let a soul under the sense of mercies spend and be spent for God. You sow not in a barren soil; as showers of mercy promise your fruitfulness, so an abundant crop of mercy will be your sure reward, and in your saddest seasons you shall have the richest harvest of mercy. If Christians knew what grapes of celestial Canaan they should taste in their wilderness sufferings for Christ, they would not be so afraid of them as they are. These mercies run most freely and sweetly when other streams run dry. Fear not sufferings, mercies will meet and support you.

6. Plead these mercies for your posterity; though you should leave your children thousands a-year, yet, these covenant mercies will be the best portion; you

* Rom. xii. 1. + Col. i. 10. Eph. iv. 1. 1 Thess. ii. 12.

cannot ensure your estates to your heirs, but these are sure mercies; so that if you take hold of God's covenant, plead it, and live up to it, you shall have the benefit of these yourselves, and some, at least, of your children and successors shall enjoy the same mercies, for God will remember these unto a thousand generations though he be not bound to every individual soul of your natural offspring, yet the Scripture fully shews that this is the surest way to obtain a portion for your children; tell God they are more his than yours, you are but nurses for his children; tell the Lord that you must die and leave them, but he lives for ever, and entreat him to be their loving, everlasting Father; tell him that though you leave them something in the world, yet that is neither adequate nor durable; but these sure mercies will not fail them-and comfort your hearts for your house and family with the last words of David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. O labour to transmit to future generations, your title to the favour of God, as the two tribes and a half did to future ages by their altar Ed.-Josh. xxii. 24, 28. *

7. Breathe after a full possession of these sure mercies, they are from everlasting to everlasting; follow them to the spring in admiration and thankfulness, and follow this stream of covenant mercies to the ocean of eternity. Indeed, the streams are, in time, to the sons and daughters of men, but the origin is without a beginning in God's eternal thoughts of love, and the issue is without end in his everlasting embraces in heaven. O long to see the end if these mercies be so sweet here, what will they be in heaven, in their proper element, as it were! O that blessed state, that paradise of pleasure, that joy of our Lord, Abraham's bosom, a house not made with hands, a city with out foundations, * See 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.