A

ed by that bloody edict which Haman procured against them; and that after they had been delivered by a moft fignal interpofition of Providence. Ambitious Haman being greatly piqued at Mordecai, who declined to give him the homage expected, difdained to take vengeance on an individual; but aimed at the utter extermination of the whole race. The cdict was not only granted but published; and the day of its execution determined, by lot, to be on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the thirteenth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus. Divine Providence ordered matters fo, as to put it off till this time, that the Jews might be, in fome meafure, prepared for the evil day. Mad with fuperftition, their enemies caft lots from month to month, and day to day, from the firft unto the twelfth month of the twelfth year of his reign; and, at last, determined to execute it at the diftance of time above fpecified. Nor had they any dread as to the difficulty of execution arifing from the delay, the laws of the Medes and Perfians being irreverfible. That it was the thirteenth, and not the twelfth year of Artaxerxes, on which they intended the execution of the edict, is evident from the date of that which prevented the ruin of the Jews: It bore date from the twenty-third day of the third month of the thirteenth year of that reign: But, if the other edict had been executed on the laft month of the twelfth year, it had come too late. That it

was

was the thirteenth, and not the twelfth year, in which the edict of Efther's procurement wasgranted, is evident, as Haman did not fix on a LUCKY day until the twelfth month of the twelfth year of this reign; and it is not to be fuppofed, that he would divulge his purpose before he came to a fixed refolution as to the time of putting it into execution. Nor could they provide againft its effects, by a counter edict, before they were warned of their danger.

-Divine Wifdom, however, began to counteract Haman's fcheme before it was hatched. In the feventh year of this monarch, the tenth month of that year (the fame month, and the fame year, in which Ezrah fet about the foregoing covenant); did Efther become queen of Perfia: As Mordecai declared to her, fhe came to the kingdom FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. The whole fcene of providence in favour of Efther and the Jews, is wonderful. She found favour in the eyes of the king, when the adventured into his prefence, contrary to the rules of the palace. Every fuit which she made was granted, till the vengeance which Haman intended for Mordecai lighted on his own head: The accomplices of Haman fell into the pit they had been digging for the Jews, to the number of seventy thousand.-Nothing could be more unjuft than the deftruction of the Jews, at the hands of men; but it was righteous with God to fuffer them to be thus terrified, by the nations with which they

had

had, at this time, mixed, and of which they had learned their way.

2. THIS covenant-renovation took place after God had defeated the fecret plots against the Jews, and the external oppofition of their enemies to the Lord's work in their hands. Hence, after the walls of the city had been completed, they had opportunity to celebrate the feast of tabernacles with greater folemnity than it had been accompanied with from the days of the Judges. The affembly which celebrated this feaft was very great. Ezrah entertained them with reading the law; and, being affifted in this exercife by the Levites, he convinced the people that they had been a-wanting as to the due folemnities of this ordinance, in their former celebration of it. Thefe defects they endeavoured to reform. 'This reading of the law commenced on the firit day of the month, and they continued in it until the laft day of the feaft. There was great ignorance among the people, but alfo great defire to receive inftruction: Ezrah CAUSED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING; and they made fuch proficiency as enabled them, in a fhort time, to enter into covenant with knowledge and understanding.

3. THIS tranfaction took place after the congregation had been brought to deep humiliation for, and folemn confeffion of their iniquities.

iniquities. Their exercife appears to have been improper at the firft; it being probably carried to fuch excefs as to difturb the worshipping affemblies, and to indifpofe them for fuch rejoicing as became the feaft of tabernacles. But that rejoicing did not indispose them to foJemn fafting, and confeffion of fin, when this feaft was over. The feaft of in-gathering followed on the eighth day after the beginning of the feast of tabernacles; and that was alfo finished on the twenty-fecond day of the month. They APPOINTED to themselves the twenty-fourth day, as a folemn faft, to confefs their own iniquity, and the iniquities of their fathers; and alfo to renew their covenant with the Lord God of their fathers. This was a day diftinct from all the ceremonial holy days, which were of divine appointment: But it is competent to the Church, in all ages, to fet apart as much time as is requifite, for acknowledging their iniquity to the glory of God. Few faft-days have been obferved to fuch purpofe as this one: It was a day of distinguished light and life among the children of God.

SIXTHLY, The SOLEMN CONFIRMATIONS of this Covenant is the next branch of our fubject.

1. IT was a WRITTEN Covenant: "And because of all this we make a fure covenant, and write it." The word COVENANT is mark

cd,

ed, in our translation, as a fupplement; but it is ftrongly implied in the infpired original *. And a deed is made more permanent by wri ting; it ftands to futurity for praife, in cafe of performance, and to their fhame, in cafe of violation.

2. IT was a SEALED Covenant. It was written that it might be fealed: And the covenanters actually appended their fign-manual unto, teftifying their hearty approbation of its contents. Subfcribing with the hand was now become an ufual rite in ratification of cove nants. Laws, and letters patent, were fealed with the king's feal, and contracts with the fign-manual; as appears from the inftance of Jeremiah: Said he, "And I fubfcribed the evidence, and fealed it, and took witneffes †.” This hiftory adds light to that prediction of Ifaiah's, "And another fhall fubfcribe with the hand unto the Lord "

3. IT was a SWORN Covenant : They entered into a curfe and an oath to walk in God's law." An oath implies a curfe, in cafe of violation; as it is an appeal unto God in the character of a judge. Though every finner who vio

* There are two words used in the infpired original,

the former of which denotes the cutting of כרתים אמנה

a covenant; the latter a firm deed, or conftitution.

† Jer. xxxii. 10, 12, 44. + If. xliv. 5.

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