give subsistence to our faith, and serve most divinely to increase, nourish, and strengthen it. I shall endeavour to cast the division of the subject before us into the following method and order.

First, by considering the manner in which he introduces the subject before us: "We declare unto you glad tidings."

Secondly, it will be shewed how that the promise made unto the fathers was fulfilled by the Lord in his raising up Jesus from the dead.

Thirdly, that this very act of God's, is our security of his performing all his promises to us, or that he will bestow upon us, as his elect, all the blessings of the everlasting covenant. In opening our text, and going through the method proposed, I will, as the Lord shall be pleased to assist, carefully endeavour to include all the substance contained in the words before us, which contain a most cordial elixir, and everlasting consolations for the inner man.

I begin with my first head of discourse, in which I have proposed to consider the manner in which Paul introduces the sub

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ject before us; he, in his address to the people present, says, (including Barnabas with himself)" And we declare unto you glad tidings;" which words might well be used as a preface, or introduction to what follows; for surely if the whole scheme, plan, and revelation of gospel grace most justly deserves such an epithet, and may well be styled "glad tidings," much more the actual accomplishment of the whole by our Lord's resurrection. The method which the apostle adopted to introduce his declaration concerning God's fulfilment of the promise made to the fathers, was calculated to attract their attention, and fix their minds upon the subject which he was about to deliver. Nor was there ever more glad tidings! such as cannot but produce peace of conscience, and joy in God in every one, who being enlightened by the Holy Ghost to know the joyful sound, has his heart opened by the same most adorable and sacred agent to receive, embrace, and entertain Christ as "the Lord his righteousness, the Prince of Peace, and his hope of glory." In an especial manner the gospel of the

blessed God, which is called "the gospel of salvation," "the gospel of peace," "the gospel of Christ,” “the everlasting gospel," may be said to be "glad tidings," as it reveals the everlasting love of the Father, the finished work of the Saviour, and the transcendent grace of the Holy Spirit, who is the glorifier of Jesus; who sheds abroad the love of the Father in the hearts of his faithful people, as they are led to glorify him by receiving the record and testimony which he hath given them in his word concerning his Son. For the gospel.contains and reveals God's everlasting love to his elect or chosen ones, on whom he hath bestowed in Christ everlasting life, whom he embraces with everlasting mercy, to whom he imputes, and views their persons as clothed with, the everlasting righteousness of Christ; to whom he pronounces everlasting peace, bestows an eternal pardon, and hath given unto them in Christ everlasting consolation. But let us proceed: we declare unto 'you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God

hath fulfilled the same. By this promise we most certainly must understand the Lord Jesus Christ, according to what is said in the twenty-third verse of this chapter, where Paul says, "Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus."

That Christ was promised, and that as a Saviour; that this promise was made unto the fathers, appears from the whole tenor of the sacred Scripture; but from whence did that promise proceed, and upon what was it originally founded and established? Verily it was the fruit and consequence of the ancient and eternal "council and covenant of peace," which obtained between the Eternal Three before all worlds, which was the effect of sovereign grace, love, and mercy. In the everlasting covenant, the essential Three displayed themselves and their mutual love towards the elect, in the following way. The eternal Father, viewing his chosen and beloved ones, in his infinite prescience, as fallen and undone, by their fall and apostacy in their natural head, is pleased to propose the

method, to fix the terms, and specify the conditions, upon which he will justify their persons, pardon their sins, and bestow his peace on them. The essen-. tial Son, as expressing hereby his own. boundless, ineffable love to his Father, and his people, is pleased most freely to engage by contract and covenant with his divine Father, to become their surety, and to act, obey, and suffer for them. And the Holy Spirit, who was privy to, and a witness to the covenant-engagements between the Father and Son, he did immediately upon the fall, and throughout succeeding ages, raise up, inspire, and influence holy men of God, who spake, being moved by the Holy Ghost, and they all bore witness, that one in the self-existent essence was to become incarnate, on purpose to take away sin; hence Peter saith, "to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins." So that the mediatorial acts, works, and office of Christ, which owes its original to the eternal acts and transactions between the