ing oil. And thou fhalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith.--And the altar of burnt-offering, with all his veffels *." The anointing this flone, then, is a farther proof, that it was meant to prefigure Chrift, the true altar, who was fanctified and fet apart unto this purpose, by the anointing of the Holy Ghoft above measure.

He

3. JACOB, as a further proof of his gratitule, changed the name of the place. called the name of the place BETHEL: That is, The Houfe of God. Formerly God's prefence was in the houfe of Ifaac, and there it continued ftill: But Jacob is now an exile from that houfe. Fellowship and communion with the living God, however, makes any place the house of God, and the gate of heaven.

FOURTHLY, It was propofed in the next place, to confider the OCCASIONS of this Co

venant.

1. IT was made after Ifaac, like his father Abraham, had diffembled, if not denied his marriage. The fear of man was a fare unto both. And as covenant-renovation was ren'dered neceffary by the fall of the former, so alfo by that of the latter.

* Exod. xxx. 25-28.

Vide Walther. Harmon. Biblic. p. 150.

2. JACOB

2. JACOB had, by fraudulent means, obtained Efau's birth-right. Here it might be enquired,1. What are the prerogatives of primogeniture?-And, 2. How far Jacob obtained them by unlawful means?

I. WHAT were the prerogatives of primogeniture among the Ifraelites? And, firft, Front the deftruction of Egypt's firit-born, to the inftitution of the Aaronical priesthood, the prieft's office was a prerogative of it.

Some

Chriftian divines, in compliance with the Rabbins, reckon that the priesthood belonged always unto the dignity of the first-born; but, from the beginning, it was not fo. The firftborn of Ifrael were confecrated to God immediately after they came out of Egypt; and were, probably, styled Pricfts prior to the giving of the law; as they were, certainly, exchanged for the Levites to fill that office afterwards. But it does not appear that the priesthood was any part of the prerogative which Efau fold at this time. Secondly, A double portion of the paternal inheritance was likeways a prerogative of the firft-born in Ifrael: Hence, when Jacob took the right of primogeniture from Reuben, he gave the inheritance to Jofeph. In the cafe before us, the inheritance which Abraham and Ifaac enjoyed was nothing more than a fmall parcel

* Exod. xix. 22.

Numb. iii. throughout.
Ff 2

of

of ground which Abraham bought for a burialplace; but they had ALL the land of Canaan in promife. Both were difpofed of by Efau. Thirdly, The rights of the first-born seem to have included rule, at least while the fons of a family dwelt together. Said God to Cain, "If thou doeft well, unto thee fhall be his (namely Abel's) defire; and thou fhalt rule över him." When thefe rights were transferred, in prophecy, from Efau unto Jacob, rule, or government was not omitted, The elder fhall ferve the younger. The right to the magiftracy, however, in large focieties at least, was conferred by election *. Finally, Whatever might be reckoned among the rights of primogeniture, in ancient times, thofe purchafed by Jacob certainly included spiritual privi leges: Such as, fucceeding, at his father's deccafe, to enjoyment of covenant privileges and promifes, and the paternal benediction: Hence Jacob was taken into covenant with God in preference to Efau, as was Ifaac in preference to Ifmael. That special That special privileges were included in the birth-right, at this time, is evi dent from the Apostle's ufing birth-right and blefling as fynonymous; and alfo, from the cenfure paffed on Efau for felling it. He ftyl eth him a PROFANE PERSON ; but he could never be ftyled profane for parting with privi leges merely temporal,

* See Locke, and Algernoon Sidney, on Government, Heb. xii. 16. 17.

II. SHOULD

II. SHOULD it be enquired, How far Jacob obtained this birth-right by unlawful means? It may be answered, He was certainly culpable in tempting his brother to profanity; as well as being inftrumental in promoting his profane courfe.The renovation of the promise, after fuch a fall, taught Jacob, that, as he did not merit his election by his own goodness; fo neither could he fruftrate it by his fraud and wickedness.

3. IT obtained after Jacob had shared in thofe trials to which Ifaac's family had been expofed in the land of the Philistines. Before this famine, Jacob had finned, in giving food to his brother for his birth-right; for which he was chaftifed by the want of food, but enabled to bear it by virtue of that covenant into which he entered with his father Ifaac.

4. THIS tranfaction obtained after Jacob had impofed on his father to obtain his bleffing, and had actually been bleffed by him. The patriarchal benediction was prophetical; and Ifaac's was an illuftrious prophecy of what should befal his fons in the latter days. It was the will of God, that Jacob fhould have the blef fing; for he had forewarned his mother, that the elder fhould ferve the younger: But Rebekah and Jacob were fo far from trusting to

* Heidegger Hift. Patriarch. Tom. II. Thef. viii.

that

that promife, as they ought, and from putting Ifaac in mind of it, when he fhewed a partial fondness for Efau, that they betook themselves unto the arts of fraud and impofture.

5. THIS tranfaction obtained juft after Jacob had escaped the rage of his disappointed brother; and when he was on a hazardous journey unto a fraudulent uncle. As he escaped the first, it became him to be thankful; as he was ftill expofed to the laft, he much needed a fresh proof of God's goodnefs, to prepare him for it, and fupport him under it....

6. ONCE more, This covenant obtained one hundred and fixty-two years after the family of his grandfather had been taken into 'covenant with God, and feparated to be the anceftor of the Meffiah. Fifty years after that covenant which is the fubject of the foregoing differtation. Near one hundred and forty of those four hundred years, in which the feed of Abraham were afflicted and ftrangers, had now. elapfed: Covenant-renovation was neceflary at this time, then, as an encouragement to the afflicted; and alfo, as Ifaac, the head of the covenanting family, was greatly advanced in years, and the vigour of his natural faculties impaired accordingly.

LASTLY,