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 upon the golden altar that is before the throne, Rev. viii. 3. Have respect to our tears, when we sigh and groan, ard mourn, and weep before thee, since the Covenant provides a bottle for our tears, Psal. lvi. 8. "Put thou my tears in thy bottle." Have respect to our needs on this ground, when we are hardened, that we can neither pray nor weep, since the Covenant provides supply to the poor and needy, Philip. iv. 10. "My God shall supply all your need, accordiug to his riches in glory, by Jesus Christ."

VI. I will now proceed to make some application of the subject in these four words.

I. Hence see a mark and character of true believers that are fit for a communion table, they are of God's mind: He hath a respect to the Covenant, and they have a respect to the Covenant; and hence they know what it is to plead with God, upon the respect that he hath to the Covenant: they could not do so, if they had not a high respect to it themselves; they have such a respect to the Covenant, in kind, as God hath. They have a great respect to it, so as they esteem it more than all things in a world; they would not give one promise of it, on which they have been caused to hope, for all the gold of Ophir. They have a dear and kindly respect to it, as all their salvation and all their desire, yea, and all their delight also. The word of grace is sweeter to them than honey, and the honey comb. They have a full and universal respect to it, and to all the promises of it; they respect the promise of purity as well as the promise of pardon; the promise