Page 8. line 15. for woman read man 10. 1. 10. for! read: II. 1. 5. from the bottom, for accepting read excepting 46. 1. 2. for. read ? 49. 1. 2. from the bottom, for promifes read premiffes 72. 1. 12. •from the bottom, for 13, 60. read 13. LX. 82. Notes, 1. 2. for Tim. xii, read Tim. iii. 12. 95. Notes, 1. 1. for Milevitonus read Milevitanus 97. 1. 13. from the bottom, for fecit read facit. 1. 3. for Maynes read Magnes 100. 1. 12. and 13. from the bottom, for imparatas read imparatus 101. 1. for lati read loti Notes, 1. 1. for Penitentia read Poenitentia➡Ibid. 1. 6. for 103. 1. 9. after But then, add when the Roman Emperors embraced Christianity, 122, 1, 17, for grace to them, he read grace, to them he 124. 127. 1. 5. from the bottom, for ; read. 1. 11. from the bottom, for faid read are faid 129. 1. 11. from the bottom, for dixalosovn read fixalotuon and for ελεημοσύνη read ελεημοσύνη 1. 10. from the bottom, for fixatosovn read Sixalocura מבעלין read נובעליו from the bottoms for .4 . - 130. 1. 18. for John read James 135. 1. 21. for bribe read gift 137. 1. 11. from the bottom, for antecedent read confequent 138. 1. 5. from the bottom, for was read were. 177. 1. 2. from the bottom, for revelation read falvation 180.1. 11. for this read his 183. 1. 5. from the bottom, for manifefted read magnified 194. 1. 10. for A perfuafion of future mifery read Dread of threatned punishment 194. 1. 11. for. read and dele But read water. THEOLO THEOLOGICAL DISSERTATIONS. DISSERTATION I. The Nature of the Sinai Covenant, and the Character and Privileges of the Jewish Church. SECTION I. HE moft tranfient view of the facred oracles, may convince an impartial enquirer, that the nature and privileges of the Jewish and Chriftian churches are very different. But to determine how far they are different, is more difficult. To Ifrael pertained the covenants, Rom. ix. 4. Not the covenant of grace only, but another, exprefsly diftinguifhed from it, Jer. xxxi. 31. Heb. viii. 9. Ezek. xvi. 61. in virtue of which, many deftitute of inward piety, and no way interested in the covenant of grace, yet had a just B title title to another kind of covenant bleffings. A covenant compared, Gal. iv. 22.-24. to Hagar the bond-woman, whofe fon was excluded a fhare in the inheritance, cast out of Abraham's family, and obliged to content himself with a fervile portion : to intimate that Ifrael, after the flesh, has no title to the fpiritual inheritance, and when the true heir fhould enter on poffeffion of that inheritance, was to be caft out of God's family. The oppofite nature of the Sinai and Chriftian covenant, is directly afferted, Heb. viii. 8, 9. "For finding fault with them, he faith, behold "the days come, faith the Lord, when I will "make a new covenant with the house of Ifrael "and the houfe of Judah, not according to the "covenant that I made with their fathers, in "the day, when I took them by the hand to lead "them out of the land of Egypt." The promise referred to in this paffage, cannot relate to the time when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity. For no new covenant was made with them at that period. It is therefore justly applied by the Apoftle to the Chriftian covenant, which was indeed new, not barely in certain accidental circumftances, but in its very effence, so that upon establishing it, the former covenant could no more remain. Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers. The Mofaic and Chriftian covenants are reprefented as of a nature and properties entirely different. So ftrong an expreffion would fcarcely have been used, if in the Chriftian covenant, what was moft peculiar to the Mofaic, and characteristical of it, had remained unaltered. The difpenfation of grace, which took place under the Mosaic covenant, was no part of it, did not extend to all who were, and did extend to fome who were not under it. Therefore a refemblance of that difpenfation of grace in what was effential, will not infer a refemblance of the covenant made with the fathers of the Jews. Leaft by fathers, we fhould understand, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, it is added, in the day when I took them by the band to lead them out of the land of Egypt. A manifeft description of the Sinai or Mofaic covenant, in which God, as monarch of the Jewish nation, promised them a long and profperous poffeffion of Canaan, on condition of their external obedience, to a variety of laws, precepts, and judgments. Of this covenant we have the history in the 19th and following chapters of Exodus, and in the 5th chapter of Deuteronomy. It was not dedicated without blood, Exod. xxiv. Heb. ix. 19. and, in establishing it, there was a typical Mediator, even Mofes, Gal. iii. 19. The condition of it was obeying, not only the laws promulgated on that memorable day, when God defcended upon Mount Sinai in the fight of all the people, but a variety of burdenfome ritual precepts afterwards enacted to punish the idolatry of the golden calf, Heb. viii. 9. Gal. iii. 19; to preferve from the corrupt religion and profligate manners of neighbouring nations; and to typify better things to come under the Meffias. In the mean time, thefe laws, though wifely calculated to restrain from idolatry and other grofs fins, could not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience. Obedience to them was never defigned to entitle to heavenly and fpiritual bleffings. These last are only to be looked for through anB 2 other other and a better covenant, established upon better promises. If any enquire whether the Mofaic_covenant was a covenant of works or of grace; I reply, it was neither, in the fenfe in which fyftematic divines, generally use these terms: but a mixed covenant, partaking of the nature of both. God's loving the Jews above other nations, taking them into covenant with himself, and appointing facrifices to expiate fins which would otherwife have been a breach of this covenant, were all owing to free unmerited goodness. Not to observe that the Mofaic covenant had a respect to the covenant of grace as typified by it. But then the burdenfome fervile obedience it enjoined, was to be performed by the Jews without any special divine affiftance, and was to found their legal title to covenant bleffings. But without regarding fyftematic ideas, let us examine the Scripture account of the Mofaic covenant, and particularly of the parties covenanting, the good things promifed, and the condition on which the bestowing them was fufpended. § 2. That God was one of the parties, in the Mofaic covenant, is univerfally acknowledged. It is, however, neceffary to obferve, that God entered into that covenant, under the character of King of Ifrael. He is termed fo in Scripture: (a) and he acted as fuch, disposed of offices, made war and peace, exacted tribute, enacted laws, punished with death fuch of that people as refufed him allegiance and defended his fubjects from their enemies. God, as hufband of the gofpel church, claims from his people inward affection and love, and (a) Judg. viii. 23. 1 Sam. viii. 7. xii. 12. accepts |