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I. GOD'S COVENANT WITH MAN INSTRUCTETH US IN TWO ESPECIAL POINTS.

1. In God's condescension to man.

2. In the sure prop that man hath to rest on God for happiness.

1. God's condescension to man is manifested four ways.

(1) In that God being the most high supreme Sovereign over all. vouchsageth to enter into covenant with His servants.

(2) In that God being a Lord hath power to command what He pleaseth, so as He need not covenant or capitulate with them, saying, Do this and I will do that; yet doth He enter into covenant.

(3) In that being mot free, and wholly depending upon Himself, He need not bind Himself to any (Job 9:12; Job 34:19; Daniel 4:35), yet by covenant He binds Himself to man.

(4) In that God being the Lord God of truth (Psalm 30:5) He binds Himself to perform His promise, as if there might be some tear of His failing therein (Hebrews 6:17, 18).

2. The sure prop that man hath to rest of God for happiness by reason of His covenant is manifested two ways.

(1) In that God who is good and doeth good (Psalm 119:68) doth covenant to make man happy. God is as a deep, full, open, overflowing, everdowing fountain, so as that might seem sufficient to make us go to Him for everything that may tend to blessedness. But the covenant which God maketh to bring us unto happiness doth much more embolden us to go to Him, and make us confident of receiving from Him what He hath covenanted to give.

(2) By covenant God hath caused a special relation to pass betwixt Him and us. He and we are confederates. This is a sure prop. As God is faithful in Himself, so His covenant is most sure. It is a covenant of salt for ever (Numbers 18:19). Go ,'s confederates may thereupon have strong consolation and confidence (Deuteronomy 7:9; Hebrews 6:18).

II. THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH MAN DOTH DIRECT US IN FOUR SPECIAL POINTS.

1. To know what God expects of us; namely, whatsoever is in the covenant to be performed on our part, which we must be careful to observe as we do desire to receive any benefit from the covenant.

2. To understand what we may expect from God; namely, whatsoever on God's part is covenanted.

3. To acquaint ourselves with the covenant of God, that thereby we may know what privileges and blessings belong unto us. A wise heir will search after such evidences as give him a right to his lands and goods.

4. To be careful in observing our own undertakings, and as conscionable in performing the covenant on our part, as we are desirous to partake of the benefit of the covenant on God's part. This is laid down as a ground of Levi's blessing, theft they kept God's covenant (Deuteronomy 33:9). This God expressly requireth (Exodus 19:5). We cannot expect that God should keep covenant with us unless we he careful to keep covenant with Him (Psalm 25:10). Great is that loss which followeth upon breach of covenant, yet that is not all, God's wrath and vengeance will also follow thereupon. Sole vengeance hath been executed on breach of covenant with man (2 Kings 17:4, &c.; Ezekiel 17:15). How much sorer vengeance may be feared on breach of covenant with God (Jeremiah 22:6, 9; Jeremiah 34:18-20; Hosea 8:1; 1 Kings 11:11).

(W. Gouge.)

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KJV: For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

WEB: For finding fault with them, he said, "Behold, the days come," says the Lord, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;