SECONDLY, Ifhall next confider the PARTS of this Covenant, which are, gracious promifes on the part of God, and folemn vows on the part of Jacob.

On the part of the Son of God, he promifeth,

1. THE land of Canaan: "The land where. thou lieft, to thee will I give it, and to thy feed." But as this promife has occurred already, I fhall not repeat what has been obferved on it.

2. THE Son of God affured him of a numerous feed: "And thy feed fhall be as the duft of the earth, and thou fhalt spread abroad to the east, and to the weft; to the north and to the fouth." Now Jacob was on a journey from his father's houfe, without fo much as either companion or offspring; but, as he carried the bleffing along with him, fo the promife fecured him of a numerous feed to enjoy it. This fame promife had been made to Abraham nearly at the fame place at which it is now made to Jacob. And it refpected both the literal and myftical feed: The increafe of the former being a figure of that of the latter, especially in gospel days.

3. GOD promifed to make his feed a bleffing: “And in thee, and in thy Seed shall all Dd 2

the

the families of the earth be bleffed *." This promife bore alfo a part in the Abrahamic Covenant, both in the firft and after editions of it; as well as in the tranfaction with Ifaac, Now it is carried down to Jacob.

4. THE Son of God beftowed on him the promife of his fpecial and gracious prefence: "Behold I am with thee t" Jacob was, at this time, in a very folitary condition, being an exile from his father's houfe, because of the rage of his brother: But the compaffionate Redeemer affured him, that he was not fecluded from the gracious presence of God. The like promife had alfo been made unto his father I faac.

5. UNTO the renovation of thefe promifes, the Son of God added three other grants, which were especially neceffary unto Jacob's peculiar circumstances. First, He affured him of protection: "And I will keep thee in all places whither thou goeft ." He had no guard to protect him from infult or danger; nor did his father provide him with any attendants. The armies of heaven, however, are his guards, ---the perfections of Deity his defence,—the perfons of the Godhead his companions. His folitude is more than compenfated, by his fele lowflip with the father, and with his Son Je

* Gen. xxviii, 14,

Gen. xxviii. 15. ‡ lbid.

fus

rit.

fus Chrift, through the inhabitation of the SpiThe journey between Beer-fheba and Padan-aram was long, perhaps not lefs than four hundred miles; the peregrinations of his life ftill longer: But this promised protection extended to the utmost limits, and all interveening ftages of both; to all places unto which providence should call him. Secondly, He promised to bring him again unto the promifed land: " And I will bring thee again to this land." Jacob was under the difagreeable neceffity of flying from it, but his exile cannot be perpetual. Now, the bringing Jacob into this land was a prelude of bringing his feed into it, when the cup of the Amorites fhould be full; and alfo, of bringing Jacob and all his fpiritual feed into the heavenly country in due time. Finally, He affured him of the performance of all his promifes, whether granted formerly or at that time unto him: "For. I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of *." Until does not always denote the final period of any thing; nor, in this declaration, does it import the utmost limit of the bleffing promifed; as if Jacob could have been left after the accomplishment of the promises: But it fecures the divine prefence as to the time prior to the accomplishment of them; while it does not feclude, but rather fecure it for an eternity to follow. This

Gen. xxviii. 15.

muft

*

muft certainly be included: For it is impoffible that all the good promifed can be done on this fide heaven. This promife, then, may be explained by that declaration made by the Apoftle, "I will NEVER leave thee, nor forfake thee." And it gave Jacob reafon to fay, This God is my God FOR EVER, and EVER; and he will be my guide even unto death.

ON the part of JACOB, this Covenant contained a Solemn Vow. Here I fhall endeavour,

1. To explain the nature of this folemn part of divine worship.-2. Confider the harmony between the grant of bleffings in the promise and Jacob's acceptance of them.-3. Jacob's engagement, contained in this acceptance.

I. I SHALL explain the NATURE of this folemn part of divine worship. This is the firft time the term is ufed by the infpired writer; though the thing intended muft have been frequently implied in tranfactions, long prior to this time. A vow may be defined, A SOLEMN PROMISE MADE TO GOD ONLY, BY WHICH WE ENGAGE TO BELIEVE GOD'S PROMISES, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. To explain and vindicate this doctrine at large, would require more room than I can allot to it. Ι fhall obferve, however, that, under the former œconomy, vows were of two kinds; whereas, there is only one fpecies under the new and better one. Under the firft teftament perfons had

had stated fervices, and free-will offerings which they dedicated to God: One fpecies of vows respected ftated fervices, or commanded duties; the other free-will offerings. As vows had commanded duties for the matter of them, they are, in fome refpects, ftill for our imitation: As they refpected voluntary obligations, they expired together with thofe obligations which formed the fubject matter of them*. Jacob's vow was of the mixed kind, and refpected fuch commanded duties and divine promises as had been previously beftowed on

the

*To this head belongs the vow of the Nazarite, Numb. vi. throughout; on which confult Leidekker de Republica Heb. Lib. XII. cap. iv. The gospel, contained under this fhadow, has alfo been explained by F. Spanheim, P. Dub. Evangel. Part II. Dub. xcii.; who is followed by Mather on the Types, p. 151-155. It will, perhaps, be faid, that Paul feems to have vowed fuch a vow himself, and allowed the like practice in others, Acts xviii. 18. and xxi. 23, 24, and 26. hence fome conclude, that this fpecies of vowing is not peculiar unto the former economy. To remove this difficulty, I would obferve, That Jewish rituals, though unneceflary, were not abfolutely unlawful prior to the deftruction of Jerufalem. And Paul might both vow himself and alfo countenance others in that practice, in the space of time between the afcenfion and the deftruction of the Temple : Though, from the epistle to the Hebrews, it is plain they were announced unlawful after that period. The vanity of monkish vows, in imitation of the Nazarites, has been expofed by Spanheim, already quoted.To this, alfo, belongs the dedication of Land, &c. mentioned Levit. xxvii. See Ainfworth's annotations on the place. As to the vows reducible into this clafs, they were mere

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