An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

2. The second fruit that flows from union with the blessed Trinity, is ratification of the Covenant of Grace. And Christ laid down his blood for that end to ratify all the promises that a reconciled God hath made; and that is God in a ⟨p. 174⟩Covenant of Grace, That he will write his law in our hearts; that he will forgive our sins, and remember our iniquities no more; that we shall know him, Jer. 31. 33, 34. Christ gave his blood to ratify this Covenant, Heb. 9. 15, 16, 17. And as the Testament of a Testator stands not in force till the death of him that made it, so the death of Christ ratifies this Covenant: and as all the Covenants were confirmed by blood, so hath Christs blood done in a special manner. And when he speaks of ratifying the Covenant, he doth not only speak of ratifying of it in word, but chiefly in the hearts of Gods people; and no price could have done that, but the blood of the Son of God, by which he hath ratified all the promises of God to the consciences of Gods people: That when the heart and conscience of a sinner is overwhelmed with inward agony, and fear of the wrath of God, and the curse of the Law, the fear of death and Hell: now what shall satisfy a christian in this, but the death of Christ? and what shall ratify it? His death hath purchased reconciliation with the Father, union with the Son, and communion with the holy Ghost; now he hath shed his spirit in our hearts, whereby we cry Abba Father, Gal. 3. 14. This spirit of God works faith in the hearts of Gods people, whereby all these promises are confirmed: they are all certainly made good, because such is the value and virtue of the death of this innocent lamb of God, they are now free from the terror of death. It was not possible the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin, therefore still they had new sacrifices, for the conscience had lost the copy by which it pleaded reconciliation by the spirit of God: now he applying the death of Christ to the soul, doth fully pacify the conscience, and ratify the Covenant to the soul, that now all the promises of Grace belong to this or that servant of Christ: and I pray mark it, because it is as weighty as any point of Religion: And of all the doctrines of Religion, there is none sanctified so effectually, and immediately to beget faith in the soul, as the preaching of the cross of Christ: