thing opposite unto, or discrepant from, the records of Moses concerning the same things, that it gives us a full and clear exposition of them,

Secondly, The second thing to be considered, is the nature of the argument in this context; and there are three things in it, neither of which must be omitted in the exposition of the words.

He designeth, 1. To prove yet farther the necessity of the death of Christ, as he was the mediator of the new testament, both as it had the nature of a testament, and that also of a solemn covenant.

2. To declare the necessity of the kind of his death, in the way of a sacrifice by the effusion of blood; because the testament, as it had the nature of a solemn covenant, was confirmed and ratified thereby.

3. To manifest the necessity of shedding of blood in the confirmation of the covenant, because of the expiation, purging, and pardon of sin thereby. How these things are proved, we shall see in the exposition of the words.

Thirdly, There are in the words themselves,

1. A proposition of the principal truth asserted, ver. 18.

2. The confirmation of that proposition; which is twofold, 1. From what Moses did, ver. 19. 2. From what he said, ver. 20. 3. A farther illustration of the same truth, by other instances, ver. 21.

4. A general inference or conclusion from the whole, comprising the substance of what he intended to demonstrate.

In the proposition, there are five things considerable. 1. A note of introduction, whereupon.' 2. The quality of the proposition, it is negative, neither was.' 3. The subject spoken of, the first.' 4. What is affirmed of it, it was • dedicated.' 5. The way and manner thereof, it was not without blood.'

First, The note of introduction is in the particle is, which the apostle frequently makes use of in this epistle, as a note of inference in those discourses which are argumentative. We render it by therefore,' and wherefore;' here, whereupon.' For it intimates a confirmation of a general rule by especial instances. He had before laid it down as a general maxim, that a testament was to be confirmed by death. For thereupon the first testament was confirmed with the blood of sacrifices shed in their death. Wherefore, let not any think strange that the new testament was confirmed by the death of the testator; for this is so necessary, that even in the confirmation of the first, there was that which was analogous unto it. And moreover, it was death in such a way, as was required unto the confirmation of a solemn covenant.

Secondly, The proposition hath a double negative in it, so and xes aipatos, neither was it without blood; that is, it was with blood, and could not otherwise be.

Thirdly, The subject spoken of is earn, the first,' that is Jann, testament,' or covenant. And herein the apostle declares what he precisely intended by the first or old covenant, whereof he discoursed at large, chap. viii. It was the covenant made with the people at Horeb. For that and no other was dedicated in the way here described. And to take a brief prospect into this covenant, the things ensuing may be observed.

1. The matter of it, or the terms of it materially considered, before it had the formal nature of a covenant. And these were all the things that were written in the book, before it was laid on the altar, namely, it was that epitome of the whole law, which is contained in chapters xx. xxi. xxii. xxiii. of Exodus. And other commands and institutions that were given afterwards, belonged unto this covenant reductively. The substance of it was contained in the book then written.

2. The manner of the revelation of these terms of the covenant. Being proposed on the part of God, and the terms of it being entirely of his choosing and proposal, he was to reveal, declare, and make them known. And this he did two ways. 1. As unto the foundation and substance of the whole, in the decalogue. He spake it himself on the mount, in the way and manner declared, Exod. xix. xx. 2. As unto the following judgments, statutes and rites, directive of their walking before God, according to the former fundamental rule of the covenant. These he declared by revelation unto Moses; and they are contained in chapters xxi. xxii. and xxiii.

3. The manner of its proposal; and this also was twofold. 1. Preparatory. For before the solemn covenanting between God and the people, Moses declared all the matter of it unto the people, that they might consider well of it, and whether they would consent to enter into covenant with God on those terms, whereon they gave their approbation of them. 2. Solemn, in their actual and absolute acceptance of it, whereby they became obliged throughout their generations. This was on the reading of it out of the book, after it was sprinkled with the blood of the covenant on the altar, Exod. xxiv. 7.

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4. The author of this covenant was God himself. venant which the Lord hath made with you,' Exod. xxiv. 8. And immediately after, he is thereon called the God of Israel,' ver. 20. which is the first time he was called so; and it was by virtue of this covenant. And the pledge or token of his presence, as covenanting, was the altar, the altar of Jehovah; as there was a representative pledge of the presence of the people in the twelve pillars or statues.

5. Those with whom this covenant was made, were the people; that is, all the people, as the apostle speaks, none exempted or excluded. It was made with the men, women and children,'

Deut. xxxi. 12. even all on whom was the blood of the covenant, as it was on the women; or the token of the covenant, as it was on the male children in circumcision; or both, as in all the men of Israel.

6. The manner on the part of the people of entering into covenant with God, was in two acts before mentioned. 1. In a previous approbation of the matter of it. 2. In a solemn engagement into it. And this was the foundation of the church of Israel.

This is that covenant, whereof there is afterwards in the Scripture, such frequent mention, between God and that people, the sole foundation of all especial relation between him and them. For they took the observance of its terms on themselves, for their posterity in all generations until the end should be. On their obedience hereunto, or neglect hereof, depended their lifeand death in the land of Canaan. No farther did the precepts and promises of it, in itself extend. But whereas it did not disannul the promise that was made unto Abraham, and confirmed with the oath of God, four hundred years before, and had annexed unto it, many institutions and ordinances, prefigurative and significant of heavenly things; the people under it had a right unto, and directions for the attaining of an eternal inheritance. And something we may hence observe.

Obs. I. The foundation of a church-state among any people, wherein God is to be honoured in ordinances of instituted worship, is laid in a solemn covenant between him and them.-So it was with this church of Israel. Before this, they served God in their families, by virtue of the promise made unto Abraham; but now, the whole people were gathered into a church-state, to worship him according to the terms, institutions and ordinances of the covenant. Nor doth God oblige any unto instituted worship, but by virtue of a covenant. Unto natural worship and obedience, we are all obliged by virtue of the law of creation, and what belongs thereunto. And God may, by a mere act of sovereignty, prescribe unto us the observance of what rites and ordinances in divine service, he pleaseth. But he will have all our obedience to be voluntary, and all our service to be reasonable. Wherefore, although the prescription of such rites be an act of sovereign pleasure, yet God will not oblige us unto the observance of them, but by virtue of a covenant between him and us, wherein we voluntarily consent unto and accept of the terms of it, whereby those ordinances of worship are prescribed unto us. And it will hence follow,

1. That men mistake themselves, when they suppose that they are interested in a church-state by tradition, custom, or as it were by chance, they know not how. There is nothing but covenanting with God, that will instate us in this privilege.

Therein we do take upon ourselves, the observance of all the terms of the new covenant. And they are of two sorts; 1. Internal and moral, in faith, repentance and obedience. 2. Such as concern the external worship of the gospel, in the ordinances and institutions of it. Without such a covenant formally or virtually made, there can be no church-state. I speak not at all of any such covenants as men may make, or have made among themselves, and with God, upon a mixture of things sacred, civil and political, with such sanctions as they find out, and agree upon among themselves. For whatever may be the nature, use or end of such covenants, they no way belong unto that concerning which we treat. For no terms are to be brought hereinto, but such as belong directly to the obedience and ordinances of the new testament. Nor was there any thing to be added unto, or taken from the express terms of the old covenant, whereby the church-state of Israel was constituted. And this was the entire rule of God's dealing with them. The only question concerning them was, whether they had kept the terms of the covenant or not. And when things fell into disorder among them, as they did frequently, as the sum of God's charge against them was, that they had broken his covenant; so the reforination of things attempted by their godly kings before, and others after the captivity, was by reducing the people to renew this covenant, without any addition, alteration or mixture of things of another nature.

2. That so much disorder in the worship of God under the gospel, hath entered into many churches, and that there is so much negligence in all sorts of persons, about the observance of evangelical institutions, so little conscientious care about them, or reverence in the use of them, or benefit received by them; it is all much from hence, that men understand not aright, the foundation of that obedience unto God, which is required in them and by them. This indeed is no other but that solemn covenant between God and the whole church, wherein the church' takes upon itself their due observance. This renders our obedience in them and by them, no less necessary than any duties of moral obedience whatever. But this being not considered as it ought, men have used their supposed liberty, or rather, fallen into great licentiousness in the use of them, and few have that conscientious regard unto them, which it is their duty to have.

Obs. II. Approbation of the terms of the covenant, consent unto them, and solemn acceptance of them, are required on our part, unto the establishment of any covenant between God and us, and our participation of the benefits of it. Thus solemnly did the people here, enter into covenant with God, whereby a peculiar relation was established between him and them. The mere proposal of the covenant, and the terms of it, unto us,

which is done in the preaching of the gospel, will not make us partakers of any of the grace or benefits of it. Yet this is that which most content themselves withal. It may be, they proceed to the performance of some of the duties which are required therein; but this answers not the design and way of God in dealing with men. When he hath proposed the terms of his covenant to them, he doth neither compel them to accept of them, nor will be satisfied with such an obedience. He requires that on a due consideration of them, we do approve of them, as those which answer his infinite wisdom and goodness, and such as are of eternal advantage to us, that they are all equal, holy, righteous and good. Hereon he requires that we voluntarily choose and consent to them, engaging ourselves solemnly to the performance of them all and every one. This is required of us, if we intend any interest in the grace or glory prepared in the new covenant. Obs. III. It was the way of God from the beginning, to take children of covenanters into the same covenant with their parents. -So he dealt with this people in the establishment of the first covenant, and he hath made no alteration herein in the establishment of the second. But we must proceed with the exposition of the words.

Fourthly, Of this covenant it is affirmed, ou xagis diuares synszavioral, that it was consecrated with blood;' or was not dedicated without blood. Fyx, is solemnly to separate any thing unto a sacred use., is the same in Hebrew. And it is not the sanction of the covenant absolutely, that the apostle intends in this expression, but the use of it. The covenant had its sanction, and was confirmed on the part of God, in offering of the sacrifices. In the killing of the beasts, and offering of their blood, did the ratification of the covenant consist. This is included and supposed in what is signified by the dedication of it. But this is not an effect of the shedding and offering of blood, but only of the sprinkling of it on the book and the people. Thereby had it its you, its consecration' or dedication unto sacred use, as the instrument of the peculiar churchrelation between God and that people, whereof the book was the record. So was every thing consecrated unto its proper use under the law, as the apostle declares. This, therefore, is the meaning of the words; that first covenant which God made with the people at Mount Sinai, wherein he became their God, the God of Israel, and they became his people, was dedicated unto sacred use by blood, in that it was sprinkled on the book and the people, after part of the same blood had been offered in sacrifice at the altar. Hence it follows, that this which belongs so essentially unto the solemn confirmation of a covenant be.. tween God and the church, was necessary also unto the dedication and confirmation of the new covenant, which is that that is to be proved.