dained for the stirring up of spiritual affections and praises unto God; and also to intimate the vanity of ceremonial without real services. The beast on the altar was but a carnal, but the faith of the heart, and the confession of the mouth, was a reasonable, sacrifice. No point more insisted on in the prophets than this. They had idolatrously dishonoured God with their calves of Dan and Bethel, and they had carnally and superstitiously placed all worship and holiness in the calves of the altar: but now they resolve to worship God neither politicly, after human inventions; nor perfunctorily, with mere outward ceremonies: but spiritually and from inward affections: for the lips are moved by the

heart.

Now thanksgiving is further called the calves,' or sacrifices of the lips,' to intimate, that, after all God's rich mercies upon us in pardoning our sins, and in multiplying his grace and spiritual comforts upon us,-we, like beggars, have nothing to return, but the bare acknowledgements and praises of our lips, words for wonders: and those words too his own gifts; we cannot render them to him, before we have received them from him *.

SECT. 2. Asshur shall not save us.] Unto the general confession of sin, intimated in those words, "take away all iniquity," here is added a particular detestation of their special sins, with a covenant to forsake them; lest, waxing wanton with pardon and grace, they should relapse into them again. The sum is, to confess the vanity of carnal confidence, betaking itself to the aid of men, to the strength of horses, to the superstition of idols, for safety and deliverance. All which they are, now at last, by their experience and by their repentance, taught to abandon, as things which indeed cannot, and therefore they are resolved shall not, save them.

By the Assyrian is here intimated all human succour, procured by sinful correspondence;' by a synecdoche of the part for the whole. But he is particularly mentioned, 1. Because he was the chief monarch of the world; to show, that the greatest worldly succours are vain, when they are

Vide Tertul. contr. Judæos, c. 5, 6. et de Oratione, c. 1.-Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. 10. c. 5. et ep. 49. i Isai. i. 15. Mic. vi. 6, 7, 8. Amos iv. 4. v. 5. ii. 1.

Psalm 1. 13, 15. lxix. 30, 31. xxix. 16.

k Psalm cxvi. 12, 13. Matth. xii. 34. 1 Chron.

relied upon without, or against God. 2. Because the Scripture takes notice often of it as their particular sin, the sending unto, relying upon, and paying tribute unto him for aid and assistance'. 3. Because, instead of helping, he did greatly afflict them. Their flying unto him, was like a bird's flying into a snare, or a fish's avoiding the pole wherewith the water is troubled, by swimming into the net.

By horses we are to understand the military preparations and provisions' which they made for themselves, both at home, and from Egypt".

By the work of their hands, are meant their idols,' which were beholden to their hands for any shape or beauty that was in them. The same hands which formed them, were afterwards lifted up in worship unto them. Time was when we said, "These are our gods which brought us up out of Egypt P;" but now we will not say so any more; for how can a man be the maker of his Maker?

"For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy."] This is the ground of their petition for pardon and grace, and of their promise of praises and amendment. God's mercy in hearing the prayers, and in enabling the performances of his people. It is a metaphor drawn from orphans in their minority, who are, 1. Destitute of wisdom and abilities to help themselves; 2. Exposed to violence and injuries; 3. Committed, for that reason, to the care of tutors and guardians to govern and protect them.-The church here acknowledgeth herself an outcast, destitute of all wisdom and strength within, of all succour and support from without; and therefore betaketh herself solely unto God's tuition, whose mercy can, and useth to, help when all other help fails.

This is the last link of that golden chain of repentance, made up of these gradations. 1. An humble address unto God. 2. A penitent confession of sin. 3. An earnest petition against it. 4 An imploring of grace and favour. 5. Thanksgiving for so great benefits. 6. A covenant of new obedience. And lastly, A confidence and quiet repose in God.

1 Hos. v. 13. vii. 11, 12. 2 Kings xv. 19, 20.

n 2 Chron. i. 16. Isai. xxxi. 1.

o Isai. xliv. 10, 17. xlvi. 6, 7, 8. Jer. x. 3. xv. 6, 20. Acts xix. 26. P Exod. xxxii. 4. 1 Kings xii. 28. q Orphanotrophi sunt, qui, praentibus atque substantiis destitutos, minores sustentant, et educant velut affectione paterna. Cod. de Episc. et Cleric. 1. 1. Tit. 1. leg. 32. and 35.

Let us now consider, what useful observations the words, thus opened, will afford unto us. And one main point may be collected from the general scope of the place. We see after they have petitioned for pardon and grace, they then restipulate and undertake to perform duties of thankfulness and obedience.

SECT. 10. True penitents, in their conversion from sin, and humiliation for it, do not only pray unto God for mercy, but do further covenant to express the fruits of those mercies in a thankful and obedient conversation. When first we are admitted into the family and household of God, we enter into a covenant. Therefore circumcision, whereby the children of the Jews were first sealed and separated for God, is called his 'covenant";' because therein God did covenant to own them, and they did, in the figure, covenant to mortify lust, and to serve him; without which, they were, in his sight, but uncircumcised still. "I will punish, saith the Lord, all those that are circumcised in uncircumcision ;"-so the original runs : and the nations there mentioned with Judah, who are said to be uncircumcised, did yet use circumcision", as the learned have observed; but being out of covenant with God, it is accounted to them as uncircumcision: and so was that of the Jews too, when they did break covenant with God. And as the Gentiles, being converted, are called 'Jews,' and said to be born in Sion ';' so the Jews, living impenitently, are called Gentiles, Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Ethiopians, Sodomites. In like manner, baptism among Christians is called, by the apostle, σuveinσews aɣatñs ip, which the learned interpret the answer, or covenant of keeping a good conscience' towards God; the word signifying a question,' or 'interrogation,' which some

Gen. xvii. 13.

t Jer. ix. 25.

•‘Visitabo super omnes populos incircumcisos :' Versio Chald. Επισκέψομαι ἐπὶ πάντας περιτετμημένους ἀκροβυστίας αὐτῶν. Septu agint. a Herodot. 1. 2.-Atapanus apud Euseb. de Præparat. Evang. 1. 9. c. 27.-Orig. in Rom. 1. 2. c. 2.-Cyprian. de ratione Circumcis.-Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 1.-Pierii Hieroglyph. 1. 6.—Perer. in Gen. xvii. 13.-Valles. de Sacra Philosophia. Rom ii. 18, 19. Acts vii. 51. Gal. vi. 16. 1 Cor. xii. 2. Psalm lxxxvii. 4, 5. z Cameron de Eccl. p. 34.Nec hoc novum Scripturis figurate uti translatione nominum ex comparatione criminum, &c. Tert. cont. Judæos, c. 8. et contr. Marcion. I. 3. c. 8.-Diodati.Heinsius. Ezek. xvi. 3. Hos. xii. 7. Amos ix. 7. Isai. i. 10.

iii. 21.

b 1 Pet.

would have to be the conscience's making interpellation for itself to God;-others to be as much as Boxipaola, the examining' of a man's self, like that before the Lord's supper . I rather take it as an allusion to the manner of John's baptism, wherein the people first confessed, and consequently renounced sin; and being taken into Christ's service, or into that kingdom of God which was at hand, did enquire after the work which they were to do. And we find the same word in Luke iii. 10., which the apostle Peter useth, ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν, "The people asked him, saying, What shall we do?" whereby is intimated an engaging of themselves, by a solemn promise and undertaking, to the practice of that repentance unto which John baptized them. Whence arose the grave form of the ancient churches, wherein questions were proposed to the person baptized touching his Faith and repentance, renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil,' with a solemn answer and stipulation obliging thereunto. Which custom seems to have been derived from the practice, used in the apostles' time, wherein profession of faith, unfeigned and sincere repentance, was made before baptism. This is the first dedicating of ourselves, and entering into a covenant with God, which we may call, in the prophet's expression, the subscribing,' or giving a man's name to God .

g

all

Now the covenant between us and God being perpetual, "a covenant of salt ;" as we are to begin it in our own baptism, so we are to continue it to our lives' end, and upon fit occasions to repeat and renew it, for our further quickening and remembrancing unto duties. So did David": so Jacobi:

d Luke iii. 10.

c 1 Cor. xii. 28. e Acts ii. 38. viii. 37. xvi. 3. xix. 4. f Isai xliv. 5. Aug. lib. de fide et operibus, c. 9.-Tert. ad Martyr. c. 2. et 3, et de coron. Milit. c. 3. et 13. de Habitu mulieb. c. 2. de Spectacul. c. 24. et lib. de Idololatria, Apol. c. 38.-Interrogatio legitima et Ecclesiastica. Firmil. apud Cypr. ep. 75. et ib. ep 70. et 76.—Salv. 1. 6. cod. de Episcop. Audient. 1. 34. sect. 1.-Vide Danæum, in Aug. Enchirid. c. 42.-Brisson. I. Dominic. de spectac. -Joseph. Vicecomit. de Antiq. Bapt. 1. 2.-Gatak. of Lots, p. 319.-Espen. in Tit. digres. 9. Verbis obligatio contrahitur ex interrogatione et respons. ff. de obligationibus et Action. 1. 1. sect 7. et de verborum obligat. 1. 5. sect. 1. g De pacto salis, vide Paul. Fagi. in Levit. 22, et Perer. in Gen. xix. 16, 17, 26. Stuck. Antiq. Conviv. 1. 1. c. 30.-Sal duraturæ amicitiæ symbolum. Pierius, lib. 31.-Jer. xxxii. 2 Chron. xiii. 5. h Psalm cxix. 106. i Gen. xxviii. 20, 21, 22.

so Asa, and the people in his time: so Hezekiah': so Josiah: so Ezra and Nehemiah ".

SECT. 4. The reasons, enforcing this duty, may be drawn from several considerations. 1. From God in Christ, where two strong obligations occur, namely, the consideration of his dealing with us, and of our relation unto him. For the former, he is pleased not only to enter into covenant with us, but to bind himself to the performance of what he promiseth. Though whatever he bestow upon us, is all matter of mere and most free grace, wherein he is no debtor to us at all, yet he is pleased to bind himself unto acts of grace. Men love to have all their works of favour free, and to reserve to themselves a power of alteration or revocation, as themselves shall please. But God is pleased, that his gifts should take upon them in some sense the condition of debts; and although he can owe nothing to the creature", yet he is contented to be a debtor to his own promise; and having at first in mercy made it, his truth is after engaged to the performance of it.

Again, his word is established in Heaven; with him "there is no variableness, nor shadow of change;" his "promises are not Yea and Nay, but in Christ, Amen." If he speak a thing, it shall not fail. He spake, and the world was made: his Word alone is a foundation and bottom to the being of all his creatures; and yet, notwithstanding the immutable certainty of his promises, when they are first uttered, for our sakes he is pleased to bind himself by further ties. Free

* 2 Chron. xv. 12. 15. 12 Chron. xxix. 10. xxx. 5. 23. m 2 Chron. xxxiv. 31, 32. Ezra x. 3. Nehem. ix. 38. • Dignaris eis quibus omnia debita dimittis, etiam promissionibus tuis debitor fieri. Aug. Conf. 1. 5. c. 9.— Non ei aliquid dedimus, et tenemus debitorem. Unde debitorem? quia promissor est, non dicimus Deo, Domine: redde quod accepisti, sed ;' 'redde quod promisisti.' Aug. in Psal. xxxii.-Cum promissum Dei redditur, justitia Dei dicitur; justitia enim Dei est, quia redditum est quod promissum est. Ambros. in Rom. 3.-Justum est ut reddat quod debet; debet autem quod pollicitus est: Et hæc est justitia de qua prosumit Apostolus promisso Dei. Bern. de grat, et lib. arbit.-Licet Deus debitum alicui det, non tamen est ipse debitor, quia ipse ad alia non ordinatur, sed potius alia ad ipsum; et ideo justitia, quandoque dicitur in Deo condecentia suæ bonitatis. Aquin. part. 1. qu. 21. art. 1. Nulla alia in Deo justitia, nisi ad se, quasi ad alterum, ut sibi ipsi debitum reddat, secundum condecentiam bonitatis, et rectitudinem voluntatis suæ. Scotus 4. dist. 46. q. P Rom. xi. 35. Job xxii. 3. xxxv. 7, 8. q Mic. vii. 20. Josh. xxi. 45. * Quid est Dei veri veracisque juratio,

* 2 Cor. i. 20.

nisi promissi confirmatio, et infidelium quædam increpatio? Aug. de Civ. Dei,

lib. 16. cap. 32.