covenant. "The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for
ever after the order of Melchizedec." And, "by so much was Jesus made a
surety of a better testament." To none of the priesthood under the law,
did the title of mediator appertain. "But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises."

And through Christ come all the distinguishing features, and all the
high privileges of his people, as an holy priesthood. To secure
blessings spiritual and eternal to the people of God, the Lord sware to
his Son. In what was promised to him by the oath of God, his people--a
nation of kings and priests, are interested. He is a king; his people
sit down with him on his throne. He is a priest; his people desire to
fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in their
flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church; and while they neither
possess nor claim merit on account of their deeds, rejoice inasmuch as
they are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be
revealed, they may be glad also with exceeding joy. And by and through
the oath by which he was constituted priest, were they in general set
apart to their functions,--to covenant, to pray, to praise, to present
spiritual sacrifices to God, acceptable through himself. Because of the
priesthood of Christ, the priesthood under the law was instituted.
Because of the priesthood of Christ, through which was to be ratified
God's covenant, his people--a holy priesthood, to act as vowers or
Covenanters, were appointed. Their existence, while they claim an
interest in its blessings, and resolve and endeavour to perform its
duties, testifies to its character and design, and displays how vast was
the glory and blessedness that lay couched in the oath of the Father to
his incarnate Son. But next, in accordance with the last sign, we have
promised as a Covenant sign,

The New Heart. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day
that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt;
which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith
the Lord; but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my