3. AN univerfal obedience unto the law of God, and an univerfal attendance unto divine institutions, goes hand in hand with right covenanting, and is greatly influenced by it. It has ufually been urged against this duty, by the neglectors of it, that covenanters lay a difproportionate stress upon it, and overlook, or undervalue other duties. But Hezekiah's practice fhews the very reverfe. Covenanting is fo far from relaxing the obligation of the Law, that it affords an additional motive to keep it. It diffufeth its benign influence upon the heart, engaging it to refpect all God's commandments. DISSER DISSERTATION XII. ON THE DAND COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND JUDAH, IN THE REIGN OF JOSIAH. 2 CHRON. XXXiv. 29-33. compared with 2 KINGS xxiii. 1-3. THIS HIS is the laft tranfaction which obtained the line of David fwayed the fceptre. In attending to it, I fhall,-I. Explain the Character and Circumftances of the Covenanters.II. The Matter of this Covenant.-III. The Occafions of it.-IV. Improve the Subject. FIRST, I fhall explain the CHARACTER, and attend unto the CIRCUMSTANCES of thefe Covenanters. The firft perfon mentioned is King Jofiah. His agency in this matter deferves to be particularly confidered. The facred history bears teftimony unto his early, and + Mmm moft moft exemplary piety: He did that which was right the fight of the Lord, and walked in the way of David his father, and turned not afide to the right hand or to the left: And when he heard the law of God read in his ears, his heart was humbled, and he rent his clothes, and wept before God, in teftimony of his genuine repentance. Jofiah was also distinguished by his diligence and zeal for repairing the houfe of God: For the book of the covenant, which was the means of awakening Jofiah and the inhabitants of Judah, was found by Hilkiah, when employed in the reparation of the temple; and this prince had contributed liberally for that reparation, both by his example and authority. As to the activity of this prince, in bringing the people into covenant, the facred hiftorian remarks, that he not only made` a covenant himself, but alfo CAUSED the people to ftand to it. The question is, If he drew the form of this covenant himself, and administered it unto the people; or, if he only excited the Priefts and Levites to do their duty in this matter? The latter, to me at least, feems to be moft probable: For it was accompanied with the reading of the Scriptures and difpenfing the word. Now, there are none, as far as I know, who plead for magiftrates taking upon them the adminiftration of the word. The Jewish monarchs were obliged, indeed, to read it diligently for themfelves, and by them felves; felves; as appears from various precepts of the Mofaic Law; but they are never enjoined to read it to the people, much less to difpenfe it in fuch a folemn manner. The expreffion may be justified, viz. "He read in their cars all the words of the book of the covenant,” if he caused it to be done; for perfons are faid to do things, in the facred ftyle, when they excite others to do them, or caufe them to be done. Thus Solomon is faid to offer two and twenty thousand oxen *; while it was only the prieft that offered them by his direction, and at his expenfe, at the dedication of his temple. And Jofiah might caufe the people TO STAND to this covenant, as well as Afa, by an act of the Sanhedrin, or fupreme council of the nation, appointing the contemners of it to be punifhed. But this matter has been explained already. The reft of the covenanters were the whole congregation. The facred writer defcribes them in the following terms: "The King fent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerufalem. And the King went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and the Priests, and the Levites, and all the people great and final:" And, in the parallel * 1 Kings viii. 63. + Differtation IX. 2 Chron. xxxiv. 29, 39. place, the PROPHETS are added likeways, The elders were called together to fettle what was to be done; and the people readily cooperated with them, and joined in the folemn fervice. SECONDLY, I fhall next confider the MATTER of this Covenant, or the various articles. unto which they engaged: And they covenanted to "walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his teftimonies, and his ftatutes, with all his heart, and with all his foul, to perform the words of the covenant *." The 1. THEY COvenanted to WALK AFTER THE LORD, in oppofition to thofe idols after which Manaffeh and Amon had walked. When perfons fell into idolatry, the Holy Ghoft frequently ftyles their courfe, A walking AFTER other gods t; or, a fecking AFTER them. expreflion imports, the emotion of the foul in acts of elteem and defire,-of complacency and delight, according to the various objects on which it terminated :--The perfons being also initiated into the way of his worship, and practising accordingly. Walking after the Lord, in fine, cannot imply lefs than an imitation of him in holiness and righteoufnefs, mer Deut. viii. 19. xi. 28. xiii. 2. I Kings. xi. 10. су |