offerers. David speaks of it in the style of admiration:" But who am I, and what is my people, that we fhould be able to offer fo willingly after this fort? for all things come of thee; and of thine own have we given thee.""O Lord, our God, all this ftore that we have prepared to build thee an houfe for thine holy name, cometh of thine own hand, and is all thine own*."

6. DAVID was near his latter end: And covenant-renovation was highly neceffary for preferving that reformation which God had accomplished in his days;-for encouraging the young generation in the discharge of their duty. David forefaw the importance of that work which God had carved out for furvivers; wherefore, like Mofes and Jofhua, he used covenanting when near his latter end, as a means of making them ftrengthen one another's hands, and encourage one another's heart in the execution of it †.

EIGHTHLY, The next thing is, The CoNFIRMATIONS of this Covenant. There are two folemnities for this purpose, marked in the facred text,

* 1 Chron. xxix. 14. 16.

A variety of other Occafions might have been fpe cified; but, rather than fwell the work, I beg leave to refer the reader to Spanheim, F. F. Hift. V. T. p. 346, and 359. Leid. de Repub. Lib. VII. cap. vii.

1. DAVID

1. DAVID took the whole congregation wit nefs against every individual in it, in cafe of violation: "Now, therefore, in the fight of all Ifrael, the congregation of the Lord *." The whole congregation would rife up against the perfon who would dare to violate fuch an engagement. See also the preceding Covenant.

2. THIS Covenant was confirmed with the folemnity of an oath. It was administered not only in the fight of all Ifrael; but alfo, " in the audience of our God." In the former Covenant, the ftones which Joshua fet up are faid to hear: In this one, the Lord is faid to hear. The original phrase is, “IN THE EARS OF OUR GOD." Both the adminiftration and acceptance of this Covenant were in the ears of the Lord. When ears are afcribed to God, they denote his omnifcience. This manner of expreffion imports a folemn appeal to God, as the omnifcient witnefs and omnipotent judge of his people.

LASTLY, I fhall clofe this Differtation with an INFERENCE or two.

1. WE may fee, that God ufually makes ufe of one inftrument for the commencement, and another for the confummation and perfecting of his work. Mofes began Ifrael's journey to Canaan; Joshua finished it. David pre

I Chron. xxviii. 8.

† Ggg

+ Ibid.

pared

pared for the temple building and fervice; Solomon had the honour of completing both. Luther began the Reformation; Calvin was honoured to bring it to greater perfection, and nearer conformity to the pattern fhewed in the holy Scriptures.

2. A PUBLIC SPIRIT for the advancement of religion is perfectly confiftent with true Patriotifm. David was not only a good king, and great patriot; but also an eminent prophet, and a great faint. Thefe lineaments of his character difpofed him to prefer the fettlement of the Church to that of the fucceffion of the Crown; the building of the temple to the building of the palace: In a word, the things of God to thofe of his kingdom and family. But he was by no means a-wanting as to his concern for the intereft of both his fubjects and children. He intended to bring their civil concerns into fubordination to their religious concerns: To advance them in that fubordination, not otherways: And it is only in this channel that we can expect civil concerns to prosper. Matters will never be right with us till the members of the Church be endued with his fpirit.

3. SOLEMN COVENANTING is a fuitable preparation for important fervices. Perfonal Covenanting fhould precede the entrance on perfonal fervice. Public Covenanting preceded the dedication of fubftance for temple building, as well as the work of temple building itself.

DISSER

ON THE

COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND JUDAH,

IN THE REIGN OF ASA.

2 CHRON. XV. 12

14.

HE

ERE I fhall attend-I. Unto the Parties Covenanting.-II. The Matter of the Covenant.III. The Manner of Covenanting. IV. The Punishment of Idolaters.-V. The Occafions of this Tranfaction.-VI. The Confirmations of it.-Deducing fome Inferences from the whole.

FIRST, I must attend unto the PARTIES Covenanting.

1. THE Party unto whom they engaged is, "The Lord God of their Fathers." As their fathers covenanted for their feed, as well as for themfelves; fo thefe covenanters looked back unto that covenant-relation in which God Ggg 2 food

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 alfo 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 Ifrael 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 Benjamin, 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