per occafions, in civil bufinefs; but also for the purpofe of folemnizing our holy profeffion. If God deign to fwear unto us; is it too much that we fwear unto him? THOU SHALT PERFORM UNTO THE LORD THINE OATHS. 2. THAT it is the moral law, and that only, which obliged unto the duty of covenanting will appear, if we confider that it was a law common to both Jews and Gentiles. The latter, as well as the former, were fometimes employed in this duty. The law of nature taught them, that, as they were OF God, as the first caufe; fo it became them to be TO him, as their last end: And, if so, it cannot reafonably be denied, that it became them to bind themselves To him. Now, as, in right, they ought; fo, in fact, they did bind themfelves unto God, and that with the folemnity of an oath. One of them reafons to the following purpofe: "Thou art his workmanship; he hath not only made thee, but beftowed all his benefits upon thec."" To this God ye ought to fwear, as the foldiers do to Cæfar. But they, indeed, for the fake of wages do fwear, that they will, above all things, ftudy the wellfare of Cæfar; and, while you are loaded with fo many, and fo great benefits by God,-will you not fwear unto him? Or, when you have fworn, will ye not perform? And what should you fwear? That ye will always obey his voice; that ye will never complain of him; that ye will never complain of any thing he measures out unto you; that ye will always do, and fuffer willingly, whatfoever he fhall think neceffary to put upon you*." Than which nothing can be more conclufive. 3. THERE was no other law by which this duty could be bound on the Old Teftament Church than the moral law. There are only three laws supposable in this cafe ; namely, the judicial, the ceremonial, and the moral: But as the two former, being incompetent, must be removed, the latter must be established. There is not a fourth.-The incompetence of the ceremonial law is evident from the very nature of it; it can enjoin nothing but ceremonies. Now, What is a ceremony? Is it not EPICTET. Lib. I. cap. xiv.-MELANCTHON argues also, from the light of nature, in favour of this duty, when anfwering Ofiander's objections against it. Having produced the inftance of covenanting in the days of Jofhua, he adds, "Non adferam hic aliarum politiarum exempla, etfi notum eft, in omni honefta focietate aliqua effe fœdera, quibus ad certorum officiorum communicationem, homines obligati funt, ut apud Xenophontem dicitur πανταχε ἐν τῇ ἑλλάδι νομος κεῖται, τις πολίτας quvúvai queroúouv.” The meaning of which is, in short: "I fhall not adduce examples, in this place, of other ftates, although it is known, that there are certain cOVENANTS in every lawful fociety, by which men are obliged to the mutual performance of certain duties, as in Xenophon, WHEREVER THE LAW OBTAINED IN GREECE, PERSONS MUST SWEAR THE OATHS OF THE STATE."MELANCTHON Opp. Tom. III. p. 738. Orat. de Calumniis Ofiandri, fomething fomething external; fome carnal rite, by divine appointment, figuring out fomething fpiritual. But what is fignified by covenanting? If typical, what is the antitype? -The other plea is equally void, though more plaufible. It has been the fashionable cant, for fome time paft, to fuggeft, that covenanting was a political duty, peculiar to the theocratical government of the Jews. To examine this point, let it be obferved, that the theocratical government was confined to the ftate, as was covenanting to the church; and the diftinction between church and state was as real, though not fo vifible, under the Old Teftament as under the New. The view of a theocracy, above exhibited, leaves us no room to doubt in this matter. We may alfo appeal unto particular inftances of covenanting in the Old Testament Church. In the days of Jehoiada, for example, there was at once two diftinct covenants; a fpiritual, or church covenant, between Jehoiada and the people; and a political, or state covenant, between the king and his fubjects. Had covenanting been a political duty, the former had been wholly unneceffary; because, when the people covenanted with the king, the head of the theocracy on earth, they covenanted with God himself in him; binding themselves unto every poffible political duty. Once more, the theocratical government was in great perfection under the Judges; yet it is evident, that Joshua, in the character of a prophet, brought brought the congregation of Ifrael to cove nant with God in a fpiritual manner: The matter of the covenant is far from being political; and the manner of executing it evidenceth, that it is truly fpiritual and evangelical. I fhall -Thus it appears abundantly evident, that Ifrael was obliged unto the duty of covenanting by the moral law, and that ONLY. not stand to prove, that this law is of perpetual obligation on the members of the New Tellament Church; as I do not know if the enemies of covenanting (whatever they may do practically), have the boldness to deny it. SECONDLY, Ifhall now enquire if the Spiritual Nature of the Better Oeconomy admits of fuch a duty as covenanting; and if, confidering the peculiar genius of it, especially the particular form in which the promises adminiftered on the part of God, we are not laid under peculiar obligations unto fuch a practice on our part. To fet this matter in a juft point of view, I fhall ftate the nature of the Gofpel Church, in respect of her privileges and conftitution, as contrafted with the Old Teftament Church: And then attend unto the form in which thefe grants were made unto her. I. I MUST ftate the nature of the Gospel Church, in refpect of her conftitution and pritileges, as thefe are contrafted with the Old Teftament Ttt Teftament Church; and that both in respect of her vifible and invifible ftate. The 1. THIS Church was erected on the foundation of Chrift's refurrection; for the miniftry of the Baptift, the perfonal miniftry of Chrift, as well as of the feventy difciples, belonged, properly, unto the church of the circumcifion: Though it may be granted, that they were folemn preludes of the better œconomy. perfonal miniftry of Chrift had gathered together a confiderable number of difciples, confiderably more, probably, than five hundred: And, as they continued in the world after Chrift's afcenfion, fo he made provifion for them, commiffioning paftors to make known unto them all things whatfoever he had commanded. Thefe inftructions are exprefsly mentioned by Luke: "Being feen of them forty days, and fpeaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of God." And their commiffion, empowering them to act according to thefe inftructions, is registered by another Evangelist: Says Chrift, by Matthew, "All poweris given me in heaven and in earth; go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Teaching them to obferve all things what foever I have commanded." Said Mark, "Go preach the gospel unto every creature. He that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved; but he that believeth not fhall be damned." This commiffion |