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ON THE

FOEDERAL TRANSACTIONS, &c.

Γ

INTRODUCTION.

is the peculiar excellence of Gospelrevelation, to discover the origin of evil; as also, that deliverance from it which God has provided for his people. Ever fince fin entered into this world, nature's light, in its moft cultivated ftate, has not only been altogether unfatisfactory, but even totally filent on each of these most interesting subjects: The Holy Scriptures, however, are full and perfpicuous on both; they discover not only the caufe of our deftruction, but likeways the fource of our help. It is not the defign of the follow

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A

ing

ing Differtations to confider that tranfac tion which obtained between God and Adam, in his innocent ftate, the violation of which is the teeming fource of all evil; nor the eternal contract between the Father and the Son, which is the fountain of life unto the guilty foul: Yet, as the difpenfations of Grace are among the immediate causes of the Church's engagements to be the Lord's, we must premife a few things concerning that Covenant to which they belong. By way of preliminary, then, we fhall first take a fhort furvey of that Covenant which obtained, from eternity, between God the Father and his Eternal Son.

Then we fhall confider the connection between the Covenant of Grace and the Church's Covenant of Duty.-Afterwards, we shall attend unto the State of the Church, from the Fall of Adam until the Federal Tranfaction between God and Noah.

FIRST, I am to take a fhort furvey of the Eternal Compact between God the Father and his only begotten Son. To remove ambiguity, and prevent repetition, I fhall run over the various fignifications of the terms by which it is expressed in both

the

the Old and New Teftament.

The term

Covenant *, in the language of the Old Teftament, is derived from a word which fignifies to choose †: and is expreffive of the nature of a Fœderal Tranfaction, for a Covenant is that which both parties choose, and in which they agree. All God's promifes, for example, are free and fovereign acts of his will, manifefted unto men; and all genuine obedience on the part of his children is a free-will offering unto the Lord.

THE term Covenant is ufed both in a facred and civil fenfe. It is ufed in a civil fenfe to express fuch leagues as obtained between Princes in ancient times; but on this fenfe we need not infift.-When it is used in a facred fenfe it expreffeth,

1. THE Covenant which took place between God and Adam in Paradife,-which was broken by Adam; "But they like men have tranfgreffed the Covenant:" So

2. †, elegit. This derivation is vindicated, Appendix No. I. For example, Gen. xiv. 13.-xxi. 27, 33-xxvi. 28.-xxxi. 44. &c.

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our tranflation has it. "But they like Adam. have tranfgreffed the Covenant." Heb.

2. THE Covenant of Mercy between God the Father and his only begotten Son, as our furety; whether as made from eternity, or as manifefted in time, and confirmed by facraments and facrifice. In the firft fenfe it is used by the Pfalmift, as the mouth of the Father. Said he, "I have made a Covenant with my chofent.” David,. . it is true, is mentioned in the following part of the verfe; but the antitypical David must be ultimately intended: The things promifed are, by much, too important to be long unto any, in their fulleft emphasis, but unto him who is both David's Son and David's Lord. But this term is moft frequently used to denote the difpenfation of the Covenant of Grace unto finners. denotes this Covenant, as offered unto finners in the Gofpel: " Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your foul fhall live and I will make an everlafting CovENANT with you, even the fure mercies of David."-As accepted by the faith of God's

It

*Hof. vi. 7. + Pfal. lxxxix. 3.

If. Iv. 3.

elect

elect: "Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,. and fure *"As ratified by facrifices, facraments, and the fealing of the Holy Ghoft. Under the Old Testament, the initiating feal bore the name of the Covenant itself; as the confirming feal still bears the fame name under the New †. In like manner, when the Covenant is made effectual, and the promises of it accomplished on the children of it, it is faid to be made with them ‡.

3. THIS term is alfo applied by the Holy Ghost, to express the Church's engagements to be the Lord's; as appears from many places of Scripture, to be afterwards explained.

4. BESIDES thefe fignifications of the term, there are others of a figurative kind; as when one part of the Covenant (whatever it be) bears the defignation of the whole. Thus, the promise is stiled the CoVENANT by the prophet §; as are the ten commandments by Mofes: Said he, " and

* 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. + Gen. xvii. 10. Math. xxvi. 27, 28. Jer, xxxi. 36. If. lix. 21,

he

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