Page:Faith's plea upon God's covenant (2).pdf/4

 depart from me." 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 stony heart out of your flesh &c." Jer. xxxi, 33. "But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people."—And in Psal. lxxxix. throughout, it is called Covenant of grace; because grace is the beginning and the end, the foundation and topstone of it, even grace reigning through righteousness. It is called a Covenant of mercy, because therein mercy to the miserable is proclaimed, through justice satisfying blood; for there mercy and truth met together, and all the sure mercies of David are conveyed thereby. It is called a Covenant of peace and reconciliation because it both treats of Peace with God, and makes it good. It is called a Covenant of promise, because it lies in promises with reference to us, and these to be accomplished on the condition already fulfilled in Christ's obedience and satisfaction, and because therein the faithfulness of God is pledged, for making out all the promises to believers, and the children of promise. It is called a Covenant, of salt, because it is an incorruptible word, an everlasting Covenant, well ordered in all things and sure. In a word, it is a Covenant of help to poor, helpless sinners saying, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty.—O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help." It is a Covenant of pardon to the guilty, saying, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy