things in this world. All things on earth are fading, but the crown of glory never fadeth away. Thus you see why heaven and the glory above is expressed by a crown. Sometimes it is called a crown of righteousness, to note the grounds and rise of it ; sometimes it is called a crown of life, because it is only to be enjoyed in everlasting life ; sometimes it is called an incorruptible crown, to note the dura- tion and continuance of it ; and sometimes it is called a crown of glory, to note the honour, splendour, and eternity of it. Now let devils, let oppressors, let persecutors do their worst, they shall never be able to deprive the saints of their blessed and glorious crowns. But,
[16.] Sixteenthly, * If God be with us, who can be against us ?' I answer. None, so as to make void our covenant-relation, or our cove- nant-interest ; as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.! The covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's free love, upon God's everlasting love, upon God's special and peculiar love, upon God's unchangeable love, so that God can as soon cease to be, as he can cease to love those whom he has taken into covenant with him- self, or cease to keep covenant with them. Those whom free grace hath brought into covenant shall continue in covenant for ever and ever. Once in covenant and for ever in covenant. The covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's immutable counsel and purpose. ' The foundation of God standeth sure,' Heb. vi. 17; 2 Tim. ii. 19, that is, the degree and purpose of God's election stands firm and sure. Now the purpose of God's election is compared to a foundation, because it is that upon which all our happiness and blessedness is built and bottomed, and because as a foundation it abides firm and sure, John x. 28-32 ; 1 Pet. i.'5 ; Jude i. The covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's glori- ous power, upon God's infinite power, upon God's supreme power, upon God's invincible power, upon God's independent power, upon God's incomparable power, and till you can find a power that can overmatch this divine power, the saints' covenant-relation holds good. The covenant of grace is bottomed upon the oath of God ; ' To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware to our fathers,' Luke i. 72, 73. Now to think that God will break his oath, or be perjured, is an intolerable blasphemy. The covenant of grace is bottomed upon the precious blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is called ' The blood of the everlasting covenant.' ' Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the ever- lasting covenant,' Mat. xxvi. 28 ; Heb. ix. 15, and xiii. 20. Now by these hints it is most evident that the saints' covenant-relation, their covenant-interest, holds good at all times, in all cases, and in all con- ditions. It is not the indwelling power of sin, nor spiritual desertions, nor violent temptations, nor heavy afflictions, nor divine delays, that can dissolve our covenant-relation. Though sin may work, and Satan may tempt, and fears may be high, and God may hide his face from his people, and stop his ears at the prayers of his people, Isa. viii. 17 ; Lam. iii. 44, yet God will still maintain his interest in his people, and his people's relation to himself. ' God hath not cast away his people,
^ Ps. Ixxxix. 30, 35; Jer. xxxi. 31, and xxxii. 38-41; Isa. liv. 10; Heb, viii. 8, 10.
524 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD
whom he foreknew,' Eom. xi. 2 ; 'I am the Lord, I change not,' Mai. iii. 6 ; ' I will betroth thee unto me for ever,' Hosea ii. 19 ; ' I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee/ Heb. xiii. 5. It is not all the powers of hell, nor all the powers on earth, that can make null or void our covenant-relation, our covenant-interest. But,