place, the PROPHETS are added likeways. The elders were called together to fettle what was to be done; and the people readily cooperated with them, and joined in the folemn fervice. SECONDLY, I fhall next confider the MATTER of this Covenant, or the various articles unto which they engaged: And they covenanted to "walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his teftimonies, and his ftatutes, with all his heart, and with all his foul, to perform the words of the covenant *." The 1. THEY Covenanted to WALK AFTER THE LORD, in oppofition to thofe idols after which Manaffeh and Amon had walked. When perfons fell into idolatry, the Holy Ghost frequently ftyles their courfe, A walking AFTER other gods ; or, a fecking AFTER them. expreflion imports, the emotion of the foul in acts of esteem and defire,--of complacency and delight, according to the various objects on which it terminated:-The perfons being alfo initiated into the way of his worship, and practifing accordingly. Walking after the Lord, in fine, cannot imply lefs than an imitation of him in holinefs and righteoufnefs, mer * 2 Chron. xxxiv. 31. Deut. viii. 19. xi. 28. xiii, 2. I Kings. xi. 10. T cy ey and truth; yea, in all his moral perfec tions. 2. THEY engaged to keep his COMMANDMENTS, and his TESTIMONIES, and his STATUTES*. The term 'rendered commandments is ufed to denote judicials, as I have already obferved, or fuch political precepts as God gave out for the regulation of the Jewish commonwealth: And teftimonics are, in this connection at leaft, expreffive of moral precepts. They are ftyled TESTIMONIES becaufe God has given a clear and full declaration of his will: He has not left us to guefs at his mind, by dark hints; but has afforded fuch a degree of evidence, that nothing but a vailed heart and obftinate infidelity can refift. The * 2 Chron xxxiv. 31. The word , HIS TESTI MONIES, is derived from T, IDEM ESSE; because the teftimony of a witnefs ought to be confiftent with itself, and be always the fame. The term is fometimes ufed in a very large fenfe, for the whole doctrines and precepts in the word: But, in the prefent connection, it is evidently limited unto moral precepts; as there are other words ufed to denote ceremonials and judicials. Nor is this fenfe of it infrequent in the Old Testament. "Teftimonium quoque interdum fignificat ipfum Decalogum; atque adeo duas Tabulas, in quibus feriptus fuit, Exod. xl. 20. Levit. xvi. 13 Ideo autem Decalogus vocatur Teftimonium; quia Deus id dixit teftatufque eft de fe, ac fua voluntate de que juftitia et veluti debito, quod a nobis exigat." MATTHIAS FLACCIUS ILLYRICUS Clay. Script. apud vocem. duty duty of KEEPING these things has been explained above; of confequence, this tranfaction was covenant-renovation,-a reacting of what had been done in the days of their fathers; efpecially in the days of David. The manner of keeping thefe commandments, unto which they engaged, is particularly declared: They bound themselves to it WITH ALL THE HEART, and WITH ALL THE SOUL. But it is needless to repeat what has been already offered on this matter *. This is an evidence not obfcure, that this was not a state covenant, as fome would infinuate; for ftate covenants have only to do with the outward man: But it is peculiar to church covenants to reach the heart. True it is, the King is only mentioned, as being cordial in this matter; but it is plain, by comparing the accounts of this covenant, that the people copied this royal example: "And all the people ftood to the covenant." The Sanhedrim appointed all that were prefent in Jerufalem and Benjamin to ftand to it; and the people readily complied with their injunction. THIRDLY, The OCCASIONS of this Covenant are the third branch of our fubject. This tranfaction obtained in the eighteenth year of Jofiah's reign; and between that and the first * Differtation IX. 2 Kings xxiii. 3. year year of Hezekiah there interveened near an 1. THE kingdom of Judah had been greatly threatened by the Affyrian army, and wonderfully delivered without human aid; or even the exertion of their own power, in the ufe of means. The reafon of God's chaftifing his people by the hand of this Affyrian, probably, was Hezekiah's league with Egypt, in direct violation of the covenant with the Lord God of their fathers. When God redeemed Ifrael from the hand of the Egyptians and of their gods, he exprefsly prohibited them from confederating with other nations; and he engroffed this article into that covenant which was executed immediately after they had finned by making the golden calf. He had, in like manner, prohibited, in a particular manner, a confederacy with Egypt, as inconfiftent with the defign of the paflover, which was a ftanding ordinance among them; and equally inconfiftent with an humble dependance on him as head of the theocracy. But, although the correction was justly and feverely inflicted, yet it muft not be always continued. God will not contend contend with his children for ever, neither will he be always wroth: For the spirits would fail before him, and the fouls which he hath made. Wherefore he took the punishment of the Church's enemics into his own hand; and, when the Affyrian was in the higheft hopes of victory, and elevated with the vileft pride, the Lord difpatched an angel who smote an hundred four-fcore and five thoufand of his troops; and, when he decamped to Nineveh, hẻ was affaffinated by two of his fons, in the very temple of his god. Vengeance on fuch foes has been ever fraught with gracious deliverance to his Church and people. 2. HEZEKIAH mifimproved this national deliverance, as well as that from his bodily affliction. The Lord himself complains, That Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: Therefore, there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerufalem. Though they befought the Lord to remove their affliction, yet, when he accomplished their wishes, they forgot to return unto him in the way of covenant-renovation. There was great repentance; for both Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem humbled themfelves for the pride of their heart: But yet their humiliation was not correfpondent to the offence. There was fome re formation |