ftood unto them. And when they took up this character, as that on which they believed, and to which they vowed, their deed amounted to an explicit renovation of all thofe covenants into which their fathers had entered. As they had covenanted with this God in the loins of their fathers, fo they alfo make a folemn recognition of all thofe fœderal engagements in their own perfons.The Party unto whom they vowed is also denominated, “The Lord God of Ifrael;" i. e. of the congregation of Ifrael, from its firft erection until that time, as well as Ifrael their father. The God of all who are Ifraelites indeed. He also bears this name in oppofition to the gods of the nations round about, as well as the calves of Dan and Bethel, which Jeroboam had fet up in If rael itfelf. The intent of this character was, to teach them, that, though Jeroboam had faid of his calves, "These be thy gods, O Ifrael!" yet Jehovah had the fole claim unto that ho

nour.

2. THE Party vowing is Judah and Benja min, with ftrangers out of Ephraim, Manaffeh, and the tribe of Simeon. Judah and Benjamin continued in the worship of the true God, when the greater part of the ten tribes revolted from it, as well as from their allegiance to the house of David. Many of the ten tribes, however, fell off again from the worship of the calves to

that

that of the true God, on this occafion; and took part in this Covenanted Reformation.

SECONDLY, The MATTER of this Covenant falls under our confideration in the next place. The bond is not inferted at length, indeed, but the fcope of it is eafily gathered from what is declared. The comprehenfive duty to which they engaged is, to "SEEK the Lord God of their fathers." This includes the internal motions of the foul towards God, as the chief good ;--the fearch of the understanding into the mystery of his truth, and the glory of his perfections;-the motions of the affections in following hard after God: "When thou didft fay, SEEK YE my face; my heart faid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I SEEK."

"With my fpirit within me will I SEEK THEE early.". -This duty alfo includes an obfervance of all divine inftitutions, and that with the utmost care: For God can neither be fought nor found but in the way of his own inftitutions. The original word, expreffive of duty, is the fame in this Covenant as in the foregoing one; the object is a little diverfified, in a fuitablenefs to their peculiar circumftances. It was fit to mention the COMMANDMENTS of the Lord in David's days, becanfe fome new ones had been given unto the Church by his ministry: It was fit to mention the Lord God of their fathers at this time, becaufe Jeroboam had introduced ftrange gods in his room. THIRDLY,

on the one hand; or to conclude against Covenanting, as a ceremonial duty, because of this circumftance attending it, on the other.

FOURTHLY, The PUNISHMENT of fuch as would not feek the Lord God of their fathers deferves to be confidered in the next place: "That whofoever would not seek the Lord God of Ifrael fhould be put to death, whether fmall or great, whether man or woman *." This punishment was firft denounced when God gave the judicial law to Mofes; and Afa applied it to the particular cafe of the kingdom in his day. The only queftion to which I fhall attend is, If this law were peculiar to the Jews, or common to all men? In anfwer to which I fhall obferve,

1. THAT Idolatry, refpecting the object of worship, is a crime punishable by the law of nature, being a manifest violation of it. But, to fet the matter in a clearer point of view, 'The law of nature must be confidered as operating in a state of nature; or, as in a state of civil fociety. Idolatry in a state of nature, is a crime against the law of nature; but, in that flate, one man is to another as one independent nation is to another; no man having right to hurt another, except in the cafe of felf-defence; or in the prevention and repara

* 2 Chron. xv. 13.

tion of injuries. The right of executing the law of nature, in this ftate, cannot be exerted in the restraint of crimes which are, by remote confequences only, hurtful to fociety. Idolatry, therefore, though a crime againft the law of nature, prior to the erection of fociety, must be left to the judgment of God; fecing there is no human jurifdiction empowered to restrain it. But, in a state of civil society, it is quite otherways. The civil law is fuper-induced, and comes in aid of the law of nature: And the execution of that law is intrufted to the civil magiftrate. Therefore, where the magiftrate knows the true God, and where his fubjects have known him likeways, he is bound to punish such idolaters as fet up falfe gods within his jurifdiction; nor can he protect the public fafety if he does otherways: For the acknowledgment of God is effentially neceflary unto the being of fociety, that oaths, which are appeals to his omniscience and omnipotence may Oaths are the ligaments of fociety; but if that being, by whom we fwear, be fuperfeded, and vanities fubftituted in his room, these ligaments are diffolved, and, by confequence, fociety itself *.

be of force.

2. THE

* The doctrines of toleration and restraint, in matters of religion, ought to be touched with a delicate hand, I grant; but, I hope, I have not exceeded in what is delivered. Dr Owen, who was never fufpected of intolerant principles, carries the matter much higher: "It

2. THE magiftrates of the Jewith republic were bound to punish idolaters on a two-fold account: They were bound to do it on the principles juft mentioned; and for reafons peculiar to their theocratical government. God was King of the Jews, or head of the theocracy; therefore, he could not fuffer any other deity, more than any earthly king could admit a rival into his kingdom. Two heads of the fame kind and order in any common wealth are abfolutely incompatible. Hence idolatry had a particular aggravation in Canaan, beyond what it has in any other country; it amounted to nothing less than high treafon : Now, treafon has been deemed capital in every age. Hence, we may fee, how unjustly the Mofaic fyftem in general, and this covenant in particular, have been charged with cruelty by the Deifts and libertines of thefe times. They grant, that treafon has ever been confidered as a capital crime among mankind; and they dare not deny, but the traitor juftly pays his head, when in the power of majefty: But here they tax the execution of traitors with the moft flagrant injuftice! Shocking abfurdity! Grofs infatuation !

is the duty of magiftrates," faid he, "not to allow any public places for falfe and abominable worship; as alfo, to demolish all outward appearances of fuch fuperftitious, idolatrous, and unacceptable fervice. Let Papifts, who are idolaters; and Socinians, who are anthropolatra, plead for themfelves." See Dr OWEN on Toleration, and Dr Lowru's Letter to Dr Warburton.

FIFTHLY,