and diffused the knowledge of the living and true God through the Gentile world.

THE things promifed are fuch as cannot comport with any other duty than that of folemn covenanting. A variety of things are

Specified; as SOLEMN DEDICATIES: One fball fay, I am the Lord's." This is a phrase frequently used of FOEDERAL DEDICATION, whether focial or fecret. When Ifrael covenanted, they engaged to be the Lord's people.

Zione prædicabitur. HIC infignis vir natus eft in ea Jehova recenfebit in cenfu populorum. HIC natus est in ea. Vidimus hanc emphafin voculæ . HIC cap. xxv. 9. confer. Pfal. xxiv. 6. 8. 10.” Two writers of this age fuppofe, that, on our expofition of this place, the covenanters fhould call themselves John Jacob, and James Ifrael; and here they make excellent fport,-it were a pity to spoil it, as it adds much to their happiness. I recollect to have heard, that, when one laughs, he must either laugh at the folly of others, or at his own. The langhter of these two gentlemen is certainly of the lat ter kind :-The object of their derifion is their own ignorance. They feem not to have adverted, that the furnames they refer to are of very modern invention: The furnames the prophet alludes to are fuch as obtained in moft parts of the world in ancient times. And Vitringa remarks, that thefe furnames were of two kinds: "Vel enim funt hæreditaria familiæ quæ licet olim certis de rationibus, perfoni illuftribus impofita tandem in nomina familiæ verterunt, ut apud Romanos nomina MAXIMI CRASSI, &c. Vel notent in hominibus fingularibus impofitam, per quam defcribuntur ab eorum ingenio, fortuna habitu corporis, ut Craffus apud Romanos DIVES; Cajus CALIGULA; Q. Labienus PARTHICUS cognominathe ent," &c,

Again, This prediction fecures SPECIAL DESIGNATION: “And another fhall call him-` felf by the name of Jacob." In almost all ages of the world, when perfons took up a peculiar profeffion, they alfo affumed a defignation correfponding to'it: For example, when the antediluvian faints feparated from the wicked brood of Cain, they took to themfelves the defignation of the SONS OF GOD; and their folemn avowal of that name is expreffed in terms fimilar to thofe before us. In the time in which this oracle was written, ftrangers who were admitted into the Church, were alfo incorporated with the feed of Jacob, and styled Ifraelites: In like manner, the genuine members of the Gospel Church bear the defignation of THE ISRAEL OF GOD, even by an infpired Apoftle. When perfons, then, call themfelves by THE NAME OF JACOB, they profefs to be Ifraelites indeed, in whofe hearts there is no guile. Thus their conduct is amplified: "And furname himfelf by the name of Ifrael."

The laft thing propofed is equally expli

cit: It is FOEDERAL SUBSCRIPTION: "Another fall fubfcribe with the hand unto the Lord." This foederal act we have confidered above.

THE fulfilment of this prediction obtained, in part, in the early periods of the Chriftian Church; in the copious effufion of the Holy Ghoft, and the bleffed confequences of it; but

it must by no means be confined unto them. As the gift of the Holy Ghoft belongs unto every age and period of the Gospel œconomy; fo, whenever he is beftowed, this pleafant fruit may be expected. Ifaiah is not the only prophet, however, who predicted this exercife in the Gospel Church; Jeremiah coincides exactly with him in this matter: "In those days, and in that time, faith the Lord, The children of Ifrael fhall come, they and the children of Judah together, going, and weeping, they shall go and feek the Lord their God. They fhall afk the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, faying, Come and let us join ourselves unto the Lord in a perpetual covenant never to be forgotten *." We may obferve, The feason affigned for the accomplishment of this prediction: It is a time when the children of Ifrael and the children of Judah fhall be incorporated in one church-ftate. An event which the Apostle pronounced to be future in his time; and we may venture to affirm, that it has not taken place between his day and ours. The prophet fpeaks of this feafon as a very remarkable time: "In thofe days, and at that time." The phrafe may import any notable day indeed; but most frequently it imports the Gofpel day.- The things predicted to be in that day are, decp Humiliation, genuine Reformation, and folemn Foederal Tranfaction.

* Jer. 1. 4.

Thefe

The

These things go ufually hand in hand. liberal tranflation is, "They fhall afk the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, they fhall come, and join themfelves unto Jehovah; the everlasting covenant fhall not be forgotten *." The duty mentioned is, JOINING themfelves unto the Lord: The union is foederal; and it confifts in taking hold of the everlasting covenant. All God's children are JOINED UNTO THE LORD by the Holy Ghoft; but this union is fecret and invifible, and every one is joined by himself: But the union fpecified in the oracle is public and focial; an union unto which perfons may be encouraged by the example of others. The prophet Zechariah makes also a parallel declaration: "And many nations fhall be JOINED to the Lord in that day, and fhall be my people †." The term is frequently expreffive of entering into a facred bond, as where it is faid: "Neither let the fon of the stranger, that hath joined himfelf unto the Lord, fpeak, faying," &c. "Alfo the fons of the ftranger, THAT JOIN themfelves unto the Lord," &c. "AND TAKETH HOLD OF MY COVENANT " Sometimes it denotes a civil league, indeed; but in the places quoted, the connection fixeth the sense to a facred bond, fo that it cannot be underflood of any thing else. The effects of this

* Vid. Boston. Tractat. Stigmolog. p. 169.

Zech. ii. II.

If. lvi. 3, 6.

junction

junction is their BEING GOD'S PEOPLE. Now, is not this the fubftance of the New Covenant? This is the covenant that I will make with them after thofe days, "I will be to them a God, and they fhall be unto me a people."

FOURTHLY, I fhall next enquire if Covenanting was Taught and Exemplified in the Life and Doctrine of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

1. JESUS CHRIST Covenanted with the Father in the eternal council, and made a moft folemn vow unto him: "Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions, How he fware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob." The fcope of the Pfalm evidently leads us unto the Meffiah. Some things in it may belong, indect, unto David the type; but the greater part of it cannot be applied, in its fulleft import, unto any but him who is both David's Son and David's Lord. Hence, the covenant, celebrated in it, cannot be underftood of any other but of that which was made with him.

2. THE law which our Redeemer engaged to fulfil is the Law of Works:-The Law as a broken covenant. And this law he magnified and made honourable.

*Pfal. cxxxii. 1, 2.

Vid. Her. Witfium de Oeconom. Feder. Lib. H.

3. THOUGH