-In

though they neither know the dangers of the way, nor the means of escaping them.the next place, He was commanded to fojourn in the land of the Philistines. These were afterwards used by God as the rod of correction for his people Ifrael; and, like them, their anceftor finned by reafon of his connection with them, and was chaftifed by them in like man

ner.

FOURTHLY, I fhall now confider the OcCASIONS of this Covenant. It obtained fometime after the death of Abraham; but how long a space interveened between his death and this covenant is not eafily afcertained. Some conjecture, that the interval was no lefs than eighteen years, while others do not grant more than twelve. The events which obtained, however, in thefe years, rather deferve our attention, than a calculation of the years themselves. The following seem to have a principal claim to our attention.

1. ABRAHAM, the father of the covenanting family, was now removed by death. This event took place about fifty years after he had given proof of his faith, and refignation to the will of God, by his readiness to offer up his fon Ifaac; and the covenant-renovation which followed it. Covenant-renovation was extremely neceffary at this time, to fhew that God's covenant-relation to the militant church does not

expire with the death of the most eminent of her members. Befides Abraham, there had been alfo much death among the rest of the covenanters, and eminent patriarchs: For Shem, a notable covenanter, died twenty years before Abraham; and Heber, a perfon of diftinguifhed godlinefs, died four years after Shem; but

God ftill lives.

2. GOD had bleffed Ifaac after the death of his father; and one bleffing from his bountiful hand fecures another in the time of need. The bleffing beftowed on fuch a mournful occafion, alfo laid Ifaac under ties of gratitude to renew his covenant with God, when called to that duty.

3. ISAAC had been tried, as was Abraham, with the want of children; and graciously delivered from this trial, as the anfwer of his prayer. Now, this prayer-hearing, and covenant-keeping God laid Ifaac under additional obligations to the duty of self-dedication, by this fresh proof of his veracity and condefcenfion. As the anfwer of this prayer was a notable ftep towards the accomplishment of covenant promises on the part of God; fo it was an evident call unto covenant-renovation on the part of Ifaac..

4. ONE of the immediate occafions of this tranfaction was a famine, which God had fent

on

on the land of Canaan: "And there was a famine in that land, befides the firft famine, in the days of Abraham.—And the Lord appeared unto him." A vifit from God must have been extremely acceptable at fuch a time. His pinching want feems alfo to have been bleffed to him, in preffing him nearer the Lord. The promises of this covenant were also a staff for his faith, when God threatened to break the staff of bread.

was

LASTLY, This covenant-renovation granted as a gracious reward unto the faith and obedience of Abraham: "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my ftatutes, and my laws." It needs not be always repeated, though it ought never to be forgotten, that this obedience did not merit that covenant; but that the covenant was the effect of free and fovereign grace. Abraham's obedience is defcribed by the rule of it ;-the voice of God,-his charge, -his ftatutes,-commandments, and laws. God's VOICE, and his CHARGE, refpect the fame thing; namely, the general rule of obedience; but the diverfity of expreffion may be accounted for thus, his voice may denote the manner of revealing his will; his charge the authority which he interpofeth to bind the confcience to obedience.

His inftitutions being a

* Gen. xxvi. 5.

i

Cc 2

facred

facred truft, for which they are accountable who are entrusted with them. The various kinds of precepts, which conftituted this charge, are either COMMANDMENTS *, by which 1 understand rules which he gave unto the patriarch for the government of his family. Abraham kept thefe himself, and communicated them, with faithfulness, to his children, as God teftifieth of him: "I know him, that he will command his children, and his houfhold after him, and they fhall keep the way of the Lord." This ftandard of domeftic rule feems to have been the judicial law in miniature.Or his STATUTES: This term, when it stands in connection with laws, as in this text, imports ceremonial inftitutions; fuch as have no goodnefs in them but what arifeth from their infti

tution.-Another fpecies of precepts, which constituted this charge, are ftyled his LAWS.

D. Grotius and Gherard imagine it imports fuch laws as are of natural, univerfal, and perpetual obligation, in oppofition to fuch as are merely arbitrary, and temporary. But the Scripture ufe of both the term and its root determines it to fignify fuch conftitutions as are political, in families and commonwealths. STOCK. apud

vocem.

tp. "The inftitutions of ceremonial worship are most commonly expreffed by the name of pn (a word of the fame derivation with that in the text before us). The whole fyftem whereof is termed the Ceremonial Law." Dr OWEN on the Heb. Exercit. Vol. I. p. 275.

fignifies a DOCTRINE as well as a CONSTITUTION LAW, or fyftem of laws: Such is its extenfive import. The connection, however, feems to limit it in this place unto precepts of morality,

The

The original word is of extenfive fignification; and, when it is claffed with ftatutes, &c. as in the cafe before us, it is expreffive of moral precepts. Now, the connection between Abraham's obedience and Ifaac's privileges may be expreffed to the following purpose: "feeing thy father received the fyftem I gave him with thankfulness, and kept it with fidelity himself, as well as tranfmitted it to his feed after him, in their generations, it is fit his feed fhould declare their perfonal acceptance of it, and their refolution to keep it with purity, and tranfmit it with fidelity to the ages to come. It is alfo agreeable to the covenant I made with Abraham and his feed, to fhew mercy unto thousands of them who love me and keep my commandments, as a gracious reward for their obedience."

--

INATTENTION to this connection made Dr Gill imagine there was fomething a-wanting in the original text; but, from this sketch, it is plain the text itself is perfect, and the fenfe every way complete.

I SHALL now fubjoin a REFLECTION or two on what hath been obferved.

1. W may learn God's fympathy towards his people in all their trials. He did not fuffer Ifaac to be tried with famine without the comfort of the renovation of the promife. He did

not

1