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LASTLY, I fhall conclude this Differtation with a few. REFLECTIONS on the whole.

This

1. THIS fubject affords a noble directory for explicit and folemn Covenanting. Jacob turned God's promises into holy refolutions, and folemn profeffions; and he engaged to improve them to all holy obedience. tranfaction affords an idea of vowing and covenanting, vastly different from fome modern theories of it: It teacheth us to confider this duty as referring unto divine promises, and articles of faith, as well as unto precepts;-as including engagements unto fuch duties as are neceffary and moral, as well as thofe which were arbitrary and ritual: Whereas, the modern theory feems to confine it to those things which are purely indifferent, or ceremonial. This vow of Jacob's teacheth us, that our engagements fhould include neither lefs nor more than God hath promised and enjoined. Nor was a famous Chriftian Council otherways minded They enacted, That " no one thing is rightly vowed to God, unless we have received it from his hand; feeing all things which are offered to him are his own free gift *."

:

2. SOLEMN VOws fhould be carefully remembered, that they may be faithfully performed, and

*The Council of Orange, quoted by Calvin, Inftitut. Lib. IV. cap. xiii. § 3.

fuitably

fuitably improved. Jacob not only vowed, but alfo fet up a memorial of his vow: And God afterwards renewed his Bethel visits, and Bethel promises, on the one hand; while Jacob remembered, and fulfilled his engagements on the other. The vows of many, alas! are forgotten almost as foon as they are made: But, where the Spirit brings them to remembrance, their falutary fruits will be found many days

hence.

DISSER

ON THE SINAI COVENANT.

PART I.

EXOD. xix.

-xxiv. 8.

A

S this is one of the moft ftupendious and auguft fcenes that was ever open

ed on the ftage of this world, we have much need to exercife an humble dependence on the Father of Lights, when we contemplate it. It is not our purpose to examine the various hypothefifes which have been invented on this fubject; nor exhibit the foundations on which they have been established, farther than the confideration of these things may be requifite. for the declaration and confirmation of the Truth.

THAT we may avoid that which has been fo fatal to others, we fhall,-I. Shew who are the G g Parties

Parties in this tranfaction.-II. What are the Contents of it.-III. How it was Confirmed.IV. What gave Occafion to it.After which fubjoin a few Reflections on the whole.

FIRST, I am to fhew who are the PARTIES.

Covenanting. They are, Jehovah the Son of God, and Mofes, with all Ifrael reprefented by him. Concerning the Great AUTHOR of this Tranfaction, I may obferve,

1. THOUGH the right of legiflation belongs unto God, effentially confidered; yet, the publication of the divine laws was executed by the Son, as the Prophet and King of the Old Teftament Church. No one of the Sacred Three are excluded, indeed; but the Son muft be chiefly intended; feeing this grand legislation, and federal tranfaction with Ifrael was a part of the execution of his Mediatorial office. This appears from various teftimonies, especially from the writers of the New Teftament. Stephen ftyles this Lawgiver the ANGEL, as well as the LORD GOD of Abraham, &c. "I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob."

"The angel who spake with him (viz. Mofes) in the mount Sinai *.” The glorious fpeaker is the Moft High God, whofe name alone is Jehovah the Son; for it is competent

Acts vii. 32. compared with verfe 39.

unto

unto him alone to be denominated THE ANGEL. The Pfalmift and the Apostle afford their joint fuffrage, likewife, in this matter: Said the former, "O God, when thou wenteft forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The earth fhook, the heavens alfo dropped at the prefence of God; even Sinai itself was moved at the prefence of God, the God of Ifrael."-" The chariots of God are twenty thoufand, even thoufands of angels: The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou haft afcended on high, thou haft led captivity captive: Thou haft received gifts for men; yca, for the rebellious alfo, that the Lord God might dwell among them." And the latter explains it thus: "But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Chrift. Wherefore he faith, When he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts Moreover, the Apoftle declares,

unto men

that

* Pfal. lxviii. 7, 8. and verfes 17, 18. compared with Ephef. iv. 7, 8. The texts have been compared and explained by ZANCHIUS de Tribus Elohim, p. 34, 35, and 39. Dr Owen confiders this as one of the most auguft appearances of the Son of God under that difpenfation. Mr Abraham Taylor as an irrefragable proof of the fupreme Deity of the Son: On the Trinity, p. 219.————-A 'certain ciafs of authors, I acknowledge, give a very different account of this party: They reprefent him as “acting merely as a temporal prince, giving laws rather intended to direct the outward conduct than to regulate the actings of the heart," Dr Erfline's Diflertations, p. 5. The fame author likeways avers, "God, as hufband

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