our God: And alfo with him that is NOT HERE with us this day." The prefent generation might, and did covenant for fucceeding ones; as the generations to come were part of themfelves: And it has been allowed by all focieties, whether civil or ecclefiaftic, that bonds and covenants are of as real obligation on faid focieties, as upon thofe individuals who, at firft, entered into them. To maintain the contrary, implies the greatest abfurdity in itself; and, if reduced to practice, would be followed with the most fatal confequences in fociety.

SECONDLY, The PARTS of this Covenant deferve to be confidered in the next place. Here I shall,——1. Consider the two Capital Articles specified.-And, 2. Shew what Reference this Covenant bore unto former Tranfactions,

I. THE Articles of this Covenant: And,

1. ON the part of the Son of God, He prcmifeth, "TO BE UNTO THEM A GOD*."

2. On the part of Ifrael, They are bound to "be unto him a people."I would obferve, That this implies privileges, as well as duty. When God demanded this engagement, he put an eminent and diftinguifhed honour upon them, not only by admiffion to outward privi

See Differt. II. Part iii.

leges

leges in the Church, but alfo by being admitted unto special fellowship with himself. What a happy people are the Lord's people.It imports the moft folemn dedication to God. As there is a special claim on the part of God, fo also a folemn acknowledgment of the justice of it on the part of his children. When perfons declare they are the Lord's people, they confecrate their perfons, their fervices, and their ALL, indeed, unto his glory. The rule of this fervice was not only the judicial law, by which they were governed as a body politic; but alfo the moral and ceremonial laws, refpecting both their private and ecclefiaftical capacities: "Keep, therefore, the words of this covenant, and do them. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, the ten commandments." Nor can this dedication imply lefs than a folemn renunciation of all God's rivals, whether internal or external: For the claims of Jehovah and thofe of his rivals are abfolutely incompatible.

II. I SHALL now enquire what Reference this Covenant bore unto former Engagements: And it contained a formal renovation of them,

1. As God tranfacted with Ifrael as a God already in covenant with them, by virtue of the covenants he had made with their fathers. As God covenanted with Abraham, Ifaac, and

Jacob,

Jacob, for their feed, as well as for themfelves; fo the feed of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, were bound to take hold of the infinite Jehovah, not only as their own God, but alfo as the God of their fathers; faying, Thou art my God, I will praife thee; my fathers God, I will exalt thee. The covenanted character and relation, which Ifrael was called to accept, and improve on the Plains of Moab, did not commence in the last year of Mofes's life; but had been frequently announced in former tranfactions. Hence, God himself speaks of the ESTABLISHMENT of this relation between him and them: "That he may establish thee to-day for a people unto himself; and that he may be unto thee a Cod, as he faid unto thee, and as he fware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob *.”

2. THIS Covenant was a renovation of former ones, as God confidered the covenanters as already a covenanted-feed; having formerly covenanted in the loins of their fathers. They were confidered as the fucceffors of thofe patriarchs unto whom jehovah had swORN; and of thofe covenanters unto whom he had fpoken in the Sinai Covenant, according to the text juft now quoted. Hence this tranfaction engroffed all preceding ones.

* Deut. xxix 13.

3. As the matter of this covenant engroffed the fubftance of former tranfactions, as we have feen; fo the making of it strongly marked its relation to them: Said Mofes, "That he may ESTABLISH thee to-day for a people unto himfelf." His right to them, as a people, did not commence that day; but there was a renewed claim of it on his part, and a renewed acknowledgment of it on theirs: For the word rendered ESTABLISH does not mean to give existence unto any thing; but to confirm, or renew, that which had a previous existence, as we have formerly fhewn *.

THIRDLY,

* Differt. I. Parti. To fet this matter beyond all poflibility of doubt, I shall attend, for a moment, unto Mofes's judgment on this head, Deut. vii. 9. "Know, therefore, the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God; who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations." Verfe 11. "Thou shalt, therefore, keep the commandments and the ftatutes, and the judgments which I command thee this day, to do them." Verse 12. "Wherefore it shall come to pafs, If ye hearken to thefe judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God fhall keep UNTO THEE the covenant, and the inercy which he fware unto thy fathers." No language can be more plain than Mofes's teftimony, declaring, That God kept his covenant which he made with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob. The Moft High God confidered himfelf as ftill bound by the promifes which he made, and the oath which he fware unto these patriarchs,—he confidered himself as bound unto their feed, fome hundreds of years after they were dead, as well as unto themfelves when in life. Hence, though the Sinai Covenant had fewer promifes than precepts; yet it was not with

out

THIRDLY, The OCCASIONS of this Covenant are now to be confidered.

I. THIS Covenant was established after God had completed the fyftem of ceremonial worfhip. When Ifrael covenanted at Sinai, even the fecond time, they refigned themfelves unto the fovereign will of God, as to what ordinances he fhould be pleased to institute, as well as refolved, in the ftrength of divine grace, to obferve fuch as were formally inftituted: Accordingly, the last time they covenanted, the tabernacle was not erected, nor the fyftem

out promises, even of its own; and, efpecially, enriched with all the promises which belonged to former covenants: Or, if we take this declaration as referring unto the tranfaction on the Plains of Moab, then it carries thefe promifes ftill further forward; and they are carried forward, indeed, not only as far as the death of Mofes; but also to the latest poftery of the members of the Gospel Church. The promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (all excepting those belonging unto the incarnation and death of the Merliah, and thefe things are now matter of fact), being all made over by Christ unto the Gospel Church, Acts iii. 25. "Ye are the children of the covenant which God made with our fathers, faying unto Abraham, And in thy feed fhall all the kindreds of the earth be bleffed." And Paul affures us, The law was added unto the promife, Gal. iii. 19. "Wherefore then ferveth the law? It was added becaufe of tranfgreffion, till the Seed fhould come to whom the promife was made:" The meaning of which is, The law was added to the promife, fo as that both taken together might form a rule of faith and practice unto the Church, and prevent her from fin, until the fyftem fhould be changed, in fome meafure, by the coming of the proinifed Seed.