Strength to bring forth, Ifa. lxvi. 9. And thofe
whom he brings forth and fets as a City on a Hill;
he'll preferve for ever.
The Sea itfelt was a De-

fence unto Ifrael whilft in the Midft of it: fo whilst we rely on the Merits of Chrift for Grace and Forgiveness, Sin looies its reigning and condemning Power. And though Satan and Sin, like Pharaob and his Hoft, prefume to purfue, and continue to harrafs Pilgrim Hearts, yet being at length obliged to confefs, like Pharach, that God fighteth for Ifrael, their Vigour abates, their Strength fails, their Hearts faint, and they cry, Let us flee from Ifrael, the believing Church, for neither Satan to accufe, nor Sin to condemn, dare ftand in their Way, for the Blood of Chrift cleanfeth them from all Sin. Thus all Ifrael have the Honour to tread down the Strength of the Enemy; divine Juftice acquits the penitent Believer; Sion hath received double for all her Sins, Ifa. xl. 2. Her Sorrows have been great, and her Mercies are multiplied: Chrift the great Emmanuel has doubly atoned for her Sins, and Heaven shall make double Amends for her Sorrow. God fmiled on Ifrael, and they marched brifkly; he frowned on the Egyptians and their Carriages moved flowly, and they began to be heavy-hearted, for his Looks gave them to understand that Ifrael was under Divine Protection, incompaffed within the Red Sea, a Type of Chrift's Blood, and therein surrounded with Salvation as with Walls and Bulwarks. So Satan and Sin, like Pharaoh and his Hoft, attempt to fave themselves by Flight, but Jefus ftretches out his Hand over the Sea of his Blood, points out the Certainty and Sufficiency of his Death and Refurrection, faying, Bebeld my Hands and my Feet! So the Sea of Chrift's Blood, in his Sufferings and Interceífion, viewed together, like the Sea in its

full

full Strength, oyerflows and beats down all Oppo fitions, drowns all the Enemies of Ifrael, flavish Fears, Unbelief, and Hardness of Heart, there fhall not be one of them left in the Believer's Heart. Hence it appears that all the Hopes of Victory, which the Devil and Sins have, are all drowned when they prefume to encamp within the Wails of this atoning Sea, the Covenant of Grace. Thus the Lord faves all his Ifrael, univerfaily and feverally in the Day of Salvation, out of the Hands of the Devil and Sins; when the Seed of the Woman fhall bruise the Serpent's Head, Gen. iii. 15. and cafteth out the strong Man armed, Luke xi. 21. And every Child of Redemption, can according to the Meafure of Faith given him, behold those troublesome Egyptians, the Suggeftions of Satan, and the Enticements of Sin dead on the Sea fhore of Chrift's Blood. And when the Believer hath effectually learnt by Faith the great Work which the Lord hath done for him and in him, and feels in himself, (like the Woman of Samaria, by touching Chrift's Garment) that he is healed of his Plague, as she was of her Iffue of Blood, though of twelve Years Continuance, Mark v. 25, 27, 29. Then will he fear the Lord, and believe the Word of his Servant, And will acknowledge all the Promises of God, which were to him as dead Letters before, to be in Christ Jefus both rea and Amen, i. e. fure and everlasting to the Glory of God the Father, 2 Cor. i. 20. He can then perceive the Voice of the Lord calling after him faying, "Remember these thy Priviledges, O Jacob and Ifrael! for thou art my Servant, I have formed thee (for my Glory) thou fhalt never be forgotten of me, I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Tranfgreffions, and as a Cloud thy Sins; return unto me, for I have Redeemed thee. Sing O Heavens, for the Lord hath done it,"

Ifa. xliv. 21, 22, 23. Thus all the Promises of God are to the believing Soul as to many trong Towers to hide him from the Face of his Enemies. For God has promifed to drown his People's Sins in the Midft of the Sea, Mic, vii. 19. which is now come to pass, as every Believer experiences by Faith, within himfelf. The Lord feems to awake as one out of Sleep, and like a Giant refreshed with Wine, to fmite the Enemies of the Believer's Soul, viz. the Devil and Sin, putting them to perpetual Reproach; as he did to the Philistines, the Enemies. of Ifrael, when he fmote them with Emerods, viz. a fore Difeafe in their hinder Parts, for prefuming to take the Ark of God into their Poffeffion; and obftinately detaining it, notwithstanding Dagon (their God) was fallen upon his Face to the Ground in its Prefence, Pfal. lxxviii, 65, 66. 1 Sam. iv. II. and v. 4, 6. And thus will he plague all impenitent Sinners, and all thofe "that forget God, and offend his Saints; that touch his Anointed, and do Harm to his Prophets: For 'tis better that a Mill ftone were hanged about their Neck, and they caft into the Midft of the Sea, than that they offend any one that believeth in me," faith Chrift, Matt. xviii. 6. "Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no Harm," 1 Cron. xvi. 22. Pfal. cv. 15. Now the Believer may adopt the Language of John the Baptift, and cry to his Fellow-finners, faying, Repent, and behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World, (of Believers to the End of Time) John i. 29. Now the Day of Salvation is come home to the Believer's Soul, and God's Promife is made good to him, which faith, "Behold the Days come, faith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Jacob, or Ifrael, (God's believing Church) and with the Houfe of Judab (all that are Heirs of God by Adoption,

and

and Joint-heirs with Chrift, and are numbered amongst the Household of Faith, and are owned by the Name of Ifrael) not according to the former Covenant (of Works) which they brake.

But this fhall be the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael, after thofe Days, faith the Lord; (it fhall be a Covenant of Grace) for I will put my Law in their inward Parts, and write it in their Hearts; and I will be their God, and they fhall be my People; for they fhall all know me, from the least to the greateft, faith the Lord: for I will forgive their Iniquity, and will remember their Sins no more." This is a glorious Promise, and yet God proceeds to reveal and confirm his Love to his People. "Thus faith the Lord, which giveth the Sun for a Light by Day, and the Ordinances of the Moon and Stars for a Light by Night, which divideth the Sea when the Waves thereof roar; the Lord of Hofts is his Name. If thofe Ordinances depart from before me, faith the Lord, then the Seed of Ifrael, or Household of Faith fhall ceafe from being a royal Priesthood, or an holy Nation before me for ever. Also thus faith the Lord, If Heaven above can be measured, and the Foundations of the Earth fearched out beneath, I will also caft off the Seed of Ifrael, for all that they have done, faith the Lord;" (As much as to fay, I will not caft them off for ever!) (Glory be to God for all his gracious Promises.) Jer. xxxi. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. 1 Peter ii. 9. The Lord alfo paffed by before Mofes, who then reprefented his Church, and God put him into a Clift of the Rock, being a Type of Chrift, Exod. xxxiii. 32. And then confiftent with the Attribute of Juftice, after viewing the Church in Chrift, who was bound from Eternity to make Satisfaction to his injured Juftice: He therefore proclaimed himself, "The

K

Lord,

Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longfuffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thoufands (who venture their Salvation on the Merits and Mediation of his Son) forgiving Iniquity, Tranfgreffion, and Sin, but will by no Means clear the Guilty," impenitent Sinner, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Or the formal hypocritical Profeffor. "Hear the Word of the Lord,' ye Rulers and People: To what purpofe are your Sacrifices unto me? when ye come to appear before me, faith the Lord. Who hath required this (Lipservice) at your Hands, to tread in my Courts? Bring no more vain Oblations; (fuch are your formal Round of Duties, and Common Prayers at Church, with unconiecrated Hearts) I am weary of them, they are a Trouble unto me, faith the Lord," without the Spirit to help you to pray in Faith, and expect Forgiveness only for the Sake of Chrift's Merits, viz. through his atoning Blood and Righteoufnefs. Therefore, Wash ye, faith God, But where? Surely in the Blood of JESUS, there only may you make yourselves clean. (That boly Water from his pierced Side, John xix. 34. will purify the Heart, and enable you to do what God commands). Alfo "put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes; ceafe to do Evil, learn to do well; feek Judgment, relieve the Oppreffed, judge the (Cause of the) Fatherlefs, plead for the Widow," Ifa. i. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Thus fhall the Children who are come to the Birth have Strength to come forth, when under the Pangs of the new Birth. God moft graciously invites them, faying, "Turn to me, your Strong-hold, ye Prifoners of Hope; for by the Blood of Chrift (given you for a Covenant) have I determined to bring you forth out of your Prifon-house of Unbelief, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God,"

Zech.