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of confirmation. Now, to Abraham and his seed," says he, "were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

The following are examples of the term being used to signify simply a promise made by an individual, without any thing like a mutual stipulation. Addressing Moses, God says; "Behold, I make a covenant; before all thy people will I do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee," Exodus xxxiv. 10. The whole of his procedure towards Israel was one continued series of wonders. "Marvellous things did he," says the Psalmist, "in the sight of their fathers." And again: "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever," Isaiah lix. 21. "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations: which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Jacob; and con

firmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant; saying, unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance," Psalm cv. 8-11. The covenant established with David was a promise confirmed by an oath, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne. Acts ii. 30. "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations," Psalm lxxxix. 3, 4; 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13.

When God is viewed as the King of Israel, and the people as his subjects in that character, the term covenant is used with greater latitude; but this, like the exception to a general rule, confirms rather than invalidates the statement which has just been given of its general import, in regard to the covenants of Heaven. In that particular case, in which the Israelites passed between the pieces of a divided sacrifice, Jer. xxxiv. 18, the act was a solemn manner of expressing their allegiance to their Sovereign, and their obligation to be obedient to his will. Connected with this, however, is the other part of the import of the term, which now falls to be considered.

The second part of the definition given of the covenant of God was, that it signified a gracious constitution of things, and an institution, or system of institutions, founded upon, and illustrative of the promises. This view of its meaning is confirmed by the following considerations:-The Sabbath, for example, is called a covenant, because it was a sign of the promised rest, Exodus xxxi. 16. Circum

cision is so called, because, in its highest sense, it was a seal of the saving truth, and a sign of the blessings of God's covenant, Gen. xvii. 9, 10; Acts vii. 8; and the whole system of the Mosaic institutions is called his covenant, because they were founded on his promises, and were signs of the blessings promised, Lev. xxvi. 15. And on the same principle, any precept given in connection with a promise, and illustrative of it, is so denominated. Thus God says, "I made a covenant with your fathers, saying, at the end of seven years, let ye go every man his brother," Jer. xxxiv. 13, 14. This was designed to be a figure of the liberty of the children of God, and is fitly called a covenant, when confirmed by blood, because it was an appointment connected with the promises to Israel, for he had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage, not that a part of them might enslave the rest, but that all of them might be free.

These different uses of the term may be reduced to the twofold view which has already been given of the covenant of God; namely, that it consists of free promises in behalf of sinners, ratified by the death of Emmanuel; and of a gracious constitution of things, founded upon, and illustrative of the promises which are thus confirmed. In the latter sense, the term denotes the Christian dispensation considered as a whole, and, of course, inclusive of institutions, and precepts, and of the various principles of sacred truth which are exhibited in its different parts. These two views of the divine and everlasting covenant, though in themselves distinct,

are generally connected. Thus, the Apostle speaking of it, says, that it was established on better promises than those on which the covenant made with Israel at Sinai was established, Heb. viii. 6. Now, this supposes that the whole constitution of things which was established with Israel, inclusive of the law given to them, was founded on certain promises; and that the whole constitution of things which has now been established through the mediation of Christ, is also founded on promises, but on those better promises, of which the blessings promised under the first covenant were designed to be expressive emblems. The laws and institutions of the Christian economy must therefore be considered as ratified by blood, and as founded on the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel.

This view of the subject explains the nature of those services which were required of worshippers. When they offered sacrifice, they were not making a covenant with God, but were simply celebrating the instituted representation of his covenant with them, and thus expressing their faith in his promises, their gratitude to him for his goodness, and their earnest desire of the blessings which he had graciously promised them. The institutions which were connected with the promises afforded the means of expressing their faith in them,-of strengthening their faith by its exercise,-of bringing their minds under the influence of the great truths which were thus set before them, and which were thus made to bear upon their hearts; and in this way of obedience to the will of Heaven, did

they come to the more full possession of that char. acter, with which the enjoyment of the promised blessings is inseparably connected. The covenant established with them is invariably called, the covenant of God. When Moses ratified it by the blood of calves and of goats, he said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words," Exodus xxiv. 8. The language of God in Psalm 1. 5, proceeds upon this principle; "Gather my saints," says he, "together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice;" or rather, have solemnized, literally, have cut, or struck my covenant by sacrifice. The public profession of faith was generally made over the head of a sacrifice, for this service was connected with every part of instituted worship; and to the spirit of this, as entering essentially into all acts of acceptable worship, there is in these words an obvious reference. Accordingly, the appointments also of the Christian economy afford us opportunities of expressing our faith in the blood of the everlasting covenant, and in all the promises which are thus confirmed; and they are thus the means of exercising, and so of strengthening our faith, and by making the truth to bear upon our minds, they promote the sanctification of our souls, and our meetness for the promised inheritance.

This view of the covenant of God accounts for the practice of employing sacrifices as symbolical of the reconciliation of parties who had been, either