his only son, his innocent son, the beloved son of his father, and yet Abraham freely offers up his son; so Christ was the Son of God, his only Son, his innocent Son, "like to us in all things, sin only excepted:" and the beloved Son of his Father, "this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" and yet God more freely offers up his Son out of his own bosom. 2. Abraham by God's commission rose up early in the morning to sacrifice his son; and the Jews by God's permission rise early in the morning to condemn the Son of God; and hence he is called the Hind of the morn ing, Psal. 22:16. compassed with dogs that hunted and pursued his life. 3. Abraham must offer up his son upon the mount, the very mount on which Solomon's temple was built, which typified the body of Jesus Christ, John 2:19. So God offered his Son upon the mount, if not on the same mount (as Augustine thinks) yet on a mountain not far distant from it; Golgotha was the very skirt of Moriah; the one being within the gates of the city, and the other not far without, the very nearest to the city of all. 4. Abraham first laid the wood on Isaac, and then he laid Isaac on the wood: so God first lays the cross on Christ, "He bearing his cross, went forth unto a place called the place of a scull," John 19:17,18. And then he lays Christ on the cross; there they crucified him, saith John: or there they bound him to the cross, and fastened his hands and feet thereto with nails. 5. Isaac must be offered alone, the servants must stay at the foot of the hill, little knowing the business and sorrow in hand; so Christ must tread the wine-press alone? Isa. 63:3. The disciples fear and flee, and little consider the agony of their master. 6. Abraham carries in his hand the sword and fire against his son; so God carries in his hand the sword and fire, the sword signifying the justice of God, the fire, his burning wrath against the sons of men: and both these were bent against Christ, in whom the justice of God is satisfied, and the flame of his wrath extinct and quenched. That this was a plain type of Christ's passion, is hinted at in the blessing that God speaks to Abraham after this trial: "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," Gen. 22:16,17,18. All believers are blessed in the death of Christ, who was that seed of Abraham typified by Isaac, Abraham's son: for as Abraham intended, so God truly sacrificed his Son, his only Son, to take away sin. Thus far of the covenant of promise, as it was manifested from Abiaham to Moses.

SECT. IV. Of the Covenant of Promise, as manifested to Moses. THE next breaking forth of this gracious covenant was to Moses. The revenging justice of God had now scized on mankind for many generations, even thousands of years; so that now it was high time for God in the midst of wrath to remember mercy, and to break out into a clearer expres. sion of the promise, or covenant of grace. To this purpose the Lord calls up Moses to Mount Sinai, and there, of his infinite love, and undeserved mercy, he makes or renews his covenant with him, and the children of Is rael, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; Thou shalt have no other gods before me, Exod. 20:2.

For the right understanding of this, we shall examine these particulars. 1. Whether the law was delivered in a covenant way?

2. In what sense is the law a covenant of grace?

3. How may it appear, That the law in any sense is a covenant of grace?

4. Why should God in the law deal with us in a covenant way, rather than a mere absolute supreme way?

5. What are the good things promised in this expressure of the covenant? 6. What is the condition of this covenant on our part, as we may gather it hence?

7. Who was the Mediator of this covenant?

8. What of Christ, and his death, do we find in this manifestation of the covenant?

For the first, Whether, the law was delivered in a covenant way? It is affirmed on these grounds. 1. In that it hath the name of a covenant. 2. In that it hath the real properties of a covenant. 1. The name of a covenant, as it appears in these texts. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write these words; for after the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with thee, and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days, and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water; and he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments, Exod. 34:27,28. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments, and he wrote them upon two tables of stone, Deut. 4:13. When I was gone (says Moses) up into the mount, to receive the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant, which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, Deut. 9:9. And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant, verse 11. So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire, and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands," verse 15. it appears plainly and expressly in these texts, that the law is a

covenant.

2. The law hath the real properties of a covenant, which are the mutual consent and stipulation on both sides. You may see a full relation of this in Exod. 24:3,4,5,6,7,8. "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments, and all the people answered with one voice, All the words which the Lord hath said we will do: and Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord; and Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar: and he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words." This very passage is related in the epistle to the Hebrews, 9:19,20. "When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people, according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament (or covenant) which God hath enjoined unto you." In the words you may observe these properties of a covenant. That God on his part expresseth his content and willingness to be their God: this will appear in the preface of the law, of which hereafter. 2. That the people on their part give their full consents, and ready willingness to be his servants. Both these appear in that, 1. Moses writes down the covenant covenant-wise. 2. He confirms the covenant by outward

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signs, as by the blood of calves and goats, whereof one half he puts in ba sons, to sprinkle it on the people; and the other half of the blood he sprinkles on the altar; that sprinkling on the people signified their voluntary covenanting with God, and the blood sprinkled on the altar, signified God's entering into covenant with the people. Thus we have real covenanting when the law is given.

2. In what sense is the law a covenant of grace? I answer, the law may be considered in several senses; as, 1. Sometimes it signifies largely any heavenly doctrine, whether it be promise or precept; and in this sense the apostle tells us, " of the law of works, and of the law of faith," Rom. 3:27. 2. It sometimes signifies any part of the Old Testament, in which sense Jesus answered the Jews, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?" John 10:34. Psalm 82:6. Now, where was that written but in the book of Psalms? 3. Sometimes, it signifies the whole economy, and peculiar dispensation of God's worship unto the Jews according to the moral, ceremonial, and judicial law; in which sense it is said to continue until John, "The law and the prophets were until John; but since that time the kingdom of God is preached," Luke 16:16. 4. Sometimes it is taken synecdochically for some acts of the law only, Gal. 5:23. "Against such there is no law." 5. Sometimes it is taken only for the ceremonial law, Heb. 10:1. "The law having a shadow of good things to come." 6. Sometimss it is used in the sense of the Jews, as sufficient to save without Christ; and thus the apostle generally takes it in his epistle to the Romans, and Galatians. 7. Sometimes it is taken for that part of the moral law, which is merely mandative and preceptive, without any promise at all. 8. Sometimes it is taken for the whole moral law, with the preface and promises added unto it; and in this last sense we take it, when we say it is a covenant of grace.

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3. How may it appear, That the law in this sense is a covenant of grace? It appears, 1. By that contract betwixt God and Israel, before the promulgation of the law. "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation," Exod. 19:5,6. Whereunto the prophet Jeremiah 11:4, hath reference, saying, "Obey my voice; and do them according to all which I command you: so shall you be my people, and I will be your God." Both these scriptures speak of the moral law, ten commandments, containing the preface and promises: and how shall that law be any other but a covenant of grace, which runs in this tenor, "I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: my peculiar treasure: a kingdom of priests, an holy nation: if ye will but hear and obey my commandments?" Surely these privileges could never have been ob tained by a covenant of works. What! to be a kingdom of priests, an holy nation, a peculiar treasure to the Lord? What! to be beloved of God as a desirable treasure, (for so it is in the original,) which a king delivers not into the hands of any of his officers, but keepeth it to himself? This cannot be of works. No, no, these are privileges vouchsafed of mere grace in Jesus Christ; and therefore Peter applies this very promise to the peo ple of God under the gospel, 1 Pet. 2:9.

2. It appears by that contract betwixt God and Israel, in the promulga. tion of the law: then it was that God proclaimed himself to be the God of Israel, saying, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage." Some hold this to be the affirmative part of the first commandment: in which the gospel is

preached, and the promises therein contained are offered. We say, it is a preface to the whole law, prefixed as a reason to persuade obedience to every commandment. But all universally acknowledge that it is a free covenant, which promiseth pardon of sin, and requireth faith in the Messiah; when God saith to Israel, "I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt," doth he not propound himself as their King, Judge, Saviour, and Redeemer? Yea, and spiritual Redeemer from the bondage of sin and Satan, whereof that temporal deliverance from Egypt was truly a type? The Lord begins his commandments with an evangelical promise: and it is very observable, that these words, "I am the Lord thy God," are prefixed immediately to the first commandment: so in sundry places of scripture they are annexed to all the rest: "Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep my Sabbaths, I am the Lord thy God. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another; and ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God; I am the Lord Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor, I am the Lord." In a word, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the Lord." Or if that contain only the second table, "Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes and all my judgements and do them; I am the Lord," Lev. 19:3.11,12.16.18.37. Add we to this, That in the second commandment God is described to be one, showing mercy unto thousands; all which must needs argue the law to be a covenant of grace.

3. It appears by the contract betwixt God and Israel after the promul gation of the law; is it not plainly expressed by Moses, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and commandments-And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep his commandments?" Deut. 26:17,18. Yea, and after this in the land of Moab, Moses was commanded by the Lord to make a covenant with the children of Israel, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb; now this was the very same that God made with them on Sinai, only it must be renewed, and it is expressly said, "Ye stand this day to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God:-That he may establish you to be a people unto himself, and that he may be a God unto you as he had sworn to Abrahain, Isaac, and Jacob," Deut. 29:12,13. Surely this must needs be a covenant of grace; how should it be but of grace, that God promised to be the God of Israel? Here are many sweet and precious promises, and they are all free and gracious: and therefore we conclude the law, in the sense aforesaid, to be a covenant of grace.

4. Why should God in the law, deal with us in a covenant way, rather than in a mere absolute supreme way? I answer, 1. In respect of God; it was his pleasure in giving the law, not only to manifest his wisdom and power, and sovereignty, but his faithfulness, and truth, and love, and the glory of his grace, "That he might make known (as the apostle speaks) the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepa red unto glory," Rom. 9:23. God's love is a part of his name, "For God is love," 1 John 4:8. And God's faithfulness is a part of his name. saw heaven opened (said John in a vision) and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him was called faithful and true," Rev. 19:11. Now, how should we ever have known God's love, at least in such a measure? Or how should we ever have known God's faithfulness, and truth at all, if he had not entered into a covenant with us? It is true, if he had given the law in a mere absolute supreme way, if he had given the precepts without

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any promise, he might fully have discovered his illimited supreme power, but his so dear love and faithfulness could not have been known: now, therefore let the world take notice of his singular love, and of his faithfulness, as Moses said to Israel, "Because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore, that the Lord thy God he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations," Deut. 7:8,9.

2. In respect of us, God would rather deal with us in a covenant-way, than in a mere absolute supreme way, upon these grounds,

1. That he might bind us the faster to himself. A covenant binds on both parts, the Lord doth not bind himself to us, and leave us free; no, "I will bring you (saith God) into the bond of the covenant," Ezek. 20:37. The Lord sees how slippery and unstable our hearts are, how apt we are to start aside from our duty towards him, "We love to wander," Jer. 14:10. And therefore to prevent this inconstancy and unsettledness in us, and to keep our hearts more stable in our obedient walking before him, it pleased the Lord to bind us in the bond of the covenant, That as we look for a blessing from God, so we look to it to keep covenant with God. You may say, a command binds as well as a covenant; it is true, but a covenant doth as it were twist the cords of the law, and double the precept upon the soul; when it is only a precept, then God alone commands it, but when I have made a promise to it, then I command it and bind it upon myself.

2. That our obedience might be more willing and free. An absolute law might seem to extort obedience, but a covenant and agreement makes it clearly to appear more free and willing. This is of the nature of the covenant of grace. First, God promiseth mercy to be our exceeding great reward, and then we promise obedience, to be his free and willing people; and thus we become God's, not only by a property founded on his sovereign power and love; but by a property growing out of our own voluntary consent; we are not only his people, but his willing people; we give him our hand, when we become his, and enter into a covenant with him. See the expression, Ezek. 17:18. "He despised the oath, by breaking the covenant, when lo he had given his hand.” We are his, as the wife is her husband's. I entered into covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine," Ezek. 16:8. Now, in marriages, free and mutual consent, you know, is ever given, and so it is here.

3. That our consolation might be stronger; that in all our difficulties and distresses we might ever have recourse to the faithfulness and love of God. 1. To the faithfulness of God. This was David's stay, 1 Chron. 17:27. And this may be ours, though friends be unfaithful, and may deceive, yet the Lord is faithful, and cannot fail his people. "His promises are yea, and Amen," 2 Cor. 1:20. We may build upon it. 2. That we might have recourse to the love of God; this indeed was the prime end why God delivered his law in way of a covenant, that he might sweeten and endear himself to us, and so draw us to him with cords of love: had God so pleased, he might have required all obedience from us, and when we had done all, he might have reduced us into nothing, or at least, not have given us heaven for an inheritance, or himself for a portion; but his love is such, that he will not only command, but he will covenant, that he might further express and communicate his love; how then should this