general and a juft judge; but these did not exhauft the whole of his character: He was no lefs famous, as he was vefted with the prophetic office in like manner. As he ruled for God, fo he fpake in the name of the Lord : And it was in the difcharge of the prophetic office that he difpenfed this covenant to the children of Ifrael. This is evident, not only from his ufing the prophetic ftyle, “thus faith the Lord;" but alfo from the manner in which he addreffed them immediately before they gave their confent unto this covenant. He did not iffae forth this covenant as a royal edict from a fupreme magiftrate; but he addreffed their confcience, and commanded them to make a choice according to it: "If it feem evil unto you to ferve the Lord, choofe ye this day whom ye will ferve.” From this confideration it is plain, that Jofhua's covenant was not a political one,-defigned for the regulation of the ftate; but a religious one,―intended for the prefervation and purity of the ' Churcht. SECONDLY, I fhall now fhew to whom this Covenant was ADMINISTERED: And thefe * Joh. xxiv. 15. + Her. Witf. de Prophetia, cap. xviii. Thef. 7. "Deinde id quoque notandum, prophetico impulfu omnia hæc a Jofua peracta fuifle. Inchoat enim orationem fuam formula prophetis folenni. SIC AIT JEHOVA, et Jehovam ipfum prima, ut aiunt grammatici, perfona loquentem introducit." were were, "The Elders of the people,—their Heads, their Judges, their Officers,--and ALL the People *." All thefe orders of perfons have been confidered formerly, except thofe who are ftyled JUDGES. The title was applied unto the chief magiftrate until If rael fought a King; but, in the text, it is evidently applied to inferior magiftrates. A learned commentator explains it of fuch as were like LIVING LAWs unto the citizens. And a famous antiquarian, deeply ftudied in the Hebrew republic, reckons they were prefects in cities; and this was their common name, whether in a lower, or in a higher fphere; whether entrusted with a more limited, or more extenfive power: He alfo obferves, that they were called out from among the elders for the difcharge of that office §. THIRDLY, I fhall now confider the MATTER of this Covenant: And it confists in a propofal made by Joshua, and the acceptance of that propofal by Ifrael, with a refolution to abide by it. I. WE have a propofal which Joshua made unto all Ifrael,a propofal expreffed and infifted on by him: "And if it feem evil unto * Jofh. xxiv. I. Mafius in Jofh. xxiii. 2. + DEW, SHOPHETIM. Heb. Lib. VII. cap. i. § 4. cum notis. Leidekker de Repub. you you to ferve the Lord, choofe ye, this day, whom ye will ferve: whether the gods which your fathers ferved that were on the other fide of the flood; or the gods of the Amorites, in whofe land ye now dwell; but as for me, and my house, we will ferve the Lord." And when Ifrael accepted of the propofal, he infifted on the extent and importance of it,-infifting alfo on the danger of failing in their engagements: "And Jofhua faid unto the people, Ye cannot ferve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is. a jealous God; he will not forgive your tranfgreffions, nor your fins. If ye forfake the Lord, and ferve ftrange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and confume you, after that he hath done you good *." Here I may obferve, more particularly, 1. THE Duties unto which Jofhua engaged the Ifraelites. They are,- -Heart-inclination unto God: "Incline your heart unto the Lord God of Ifrael t." This duty is laft mentioned by Joshua, but it is firft intended; being the foundation of all that are specified: And it is expreffive of the foul's entire and unreferved compliance with God's gracious proposals in his promife, which contains a full and complete falvation;-with all his holy precepts, as the measure of obedience ;-and all the methods of his providence, for their guidance in the * Jofh. xxiv. 19, 20. Joh. xxiv. 23. world, world. Inclination of heart unto Jehovah, denotes faith's propenfity towards him, as its great object;-faith's reft in him, and its influence over all the affections of the foul.- -Jofhua engaged them to "fear the Lord*." Even fuch fear as is confiftent with heart-inclination to the object of it. Fear fometimes comprehends the whole of Old Teftament fervice; as fear was greatly predominant in that dispensation: But here it is diftinguished from obedience; of confequence, taken in a more limited fenfe. It imports that filial reverence which has the holiness and jealousy of God for the object of it; as appears from Jofhua's propofing these perfections unto their confideration. -Another duty, unto which Joshua took Ifrael engaged, was, to put away every ftrange god, whether they were the gods of Egypt, from whence they came, or the gods of Canaan, where they were now fettled, or the domestic idols which might have been concealed till that time among them, notwithstanding their engagements against idolatry †. Such is the fervour of God's jealoufy for his worship and honour, that the worship of the true God and that of Baal can never coalefce into one system. Joshua engaged them unto the fervice and worship of the true God: "Serve him in fincerity and truth."-" Choofe ye this day whom ye will ferve ." The measure of this Josh. xxiv. 14. + Jofh. xxiv. 14, 15. fervice was the Mofaic law: Nor was Jofua's language greatly different from that of Mofes, when he preached on covenanting. Said Mofes, "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and SERVE him, and fwear by his name:" And "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him fhalt thou ferve: and to him fhalt thou cleave, and fwear by his name." Now, as Jofhua ufed fimilar terms, we may conclude, he also fixed fimilar ideas to them with Mofes, and was advancing the work which Mofes had begun. 2. WE may notice the manner in which Joshua infifts on this propofal: "If it seem evil to you to ferve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will fervet." This manner of propofal was intended to ftrike them with the deeper conviction of their obligations to serve God, on the one hand; and the abfurdity of forfaking him on the other. Joshua was fully perfuaded, that, if they could but once be brought to judge the matter with impartiality, the effect of their deliberations would be, a determination for God, and against every idol. Jofua was alfo directed unto this method of propofal, as God inclines all covenanters to offer themselves willingly, or free willingnetfes unto him. Again, Jofua pointed out the difficulty of ferving God in a manner fuited to his * Deut. vi. 13. and x. 20. † Joh. xxiv. 15. holiness, |