and those who would have the comforting evidence of their being in covenant with God, must feel themselves drawn by his example, frequently to acknowledge themselves as devoted to him. It is self-evident, that every time that the people of God take hold on his Covenant, he, after some manner, makes a covenant with them. Every act of Covenanting, therefore, on the part of the saints of God, and especially on the part of the believer himself, affords an instance of the Divine example inviting him again to the duty. And since the Covenant of God from eternity, anticipated all the engagements of time, to these believers are drawn by the ever-memorable example presented by that. But the example of God in former ages, also extends to all succeeding times. The covenant which he made with Abraham, was to include men in the later as well as former ages. And if the swearing of an oath then, by the Lord himself, was to be imitated by his people under any dispensation, it was to be, therefore, imitated during the last. And even as the covenant with Abraham, the Everlasting Covenant-the origin of that, afforded the giving of the oath of God as an example to be followed throughout the whole lapse of time, even until those who were given to the Son should be brought by him to that glorious inheritance to which they were chosen.

CHAPTER X.

COVENANTING A PRIVILEGE OF BELIEVERS.

WHATEVER attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." ""1 And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting is a good to which believers, through the grace of God, are entitled, is abundant.

First. Believers Covenanting are a people near to God. To be near to God, is to have special privilege. "He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints, even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord." Those who honour him will God honour. But with the lip, and consequently in Covenanting as well as otherwise, such draw near to honour him. It is the hypocrisy of the Jews, who insincerely attempted this becoming service, that is challenged in the words," This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."4 While, therefore, He sets before the wicked their sin, he honours his own, or recognises them as gifted with privilege while 1 John i. 11, 12. 2 Ps. cxlviii. 14. 31 Sam. ii. 30; see also John xii. 26. 4 Is. xxix. 13.

they draw near to him in the duty. To engage in the idolatry of the ancient heathen, or otherwise to fail to recognise God as a God in covenant, was to be far from him; while to draw near to him, and, consequently, to acknowledge him in vowing to him or otherwise, was good for his saints.5 Some, as examples of all who were uninterested in the Covenant of God, are represented as destitute of what are accounted the privileges of the covenant children; while the attainments of those after their conversion, and which, by being put in contrast with what appertained to them in their former state, must be viewed as spiritual privileges, are represented as consisting in this, that they were made nigh by the blood of Christ. "Ye were

without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ." And, by an apostle, encouragement to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, at once a duty including that of Covenanting, and certainly a privilege, is given in the language" Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith."

Secondly. These Covenanting are in the gracious presence of God. The want of this on the part of the wicked being a curse, the enjoyment of it by the righteous is a privilege. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, or ceased to attend to the institutions of religion, and thus manifested that he had neither enjoyed nor valued the presence of God reconciled to him. By suffering them to be removed by the Babylonians from their own land, and, consequently, from the ordinances of his grace dispensed in his temple, the Lord cast 5 Ps. lxxiii. 27, 28. 6 Eph. ii. 12, 13. 7 Heb. x. 22; see also ver. 19, 23.

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out the wicked of Jerusalem and Judah from his presence, or deprived them of those opportunities of enjoying his gracious presence which they had not improved. To his people among the heathen, even though deprived of the public ordinances of Zion, He himself proved a sanctuary. 9 Moses received from the Lord, on behalf of Israel, the encouragement, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."10 The promise must, therefore, have been fulfilled to them throughout their whole journey to Canaan, and especially when about its termination they entered into covenant with Him. The agitation of the earth and heavens, when the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, was a striking intimation that Israel there enjoyed the presence of God. 11 The covenant blessing of peace was to be bestowed, and, consequently, accepted in his gracious presence. Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."12 Yea, the upright shall come into his presence, confessing his name, and shall continue to enjoy his favouring regard. "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving (confession).”13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks (confess) unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence."14

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"The

Thirdly. These Covenanting, see God. As he is in his essential character, no man hath seen God at any time. Even of the Redeemer himself as God, it is said, "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.' 915 It would appear to have been some such manifestation of God-altogether incompatible with the

82 Kings xxiv. 20. 11 Ps. lxviii. 8. 14 Ps. cxl. 13. 151

9 Is. viii. 14. 10 Exod. xxxiii. 14. 12 Num. vi. 24-26. 13 Ps. xcv. 2. Tim. vi. 16

capacities of a creature, that was denied to Moses when the Lord said to him, "Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me, and live." Yet, as Moses, though he did not see the glory of God according to his desire, enjoyed the gracious presence of God, all his people receive the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.17 By faith, in this manner, both before and after his incarnation, God was to be seen in Christ, and especially on occasions of solemn Covenanting. It is the blessedness of the pure in heart, that they shall see God. Inviting sinners to come unto him, and even formally to take hold upon his covenant, the Lord utters the command, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."18 And lifting up their hand, and their heart, and their eyes to him, his people obey. From a verb (n) that signifies to see, come two nouns, one of which () signifies, a prophet and a covenant, and the other, () as we have seen,1 a vision, or a revelation, and a revelation, and a covenant.20 Hence, a covenant with God, in a sense far higher than what is applicable to an agreement with mere men, is made in receiving a revelation of his will, or seeing him in such a manner as is competent to his people. The "cherubim" of the Old Testament, and the "four living creatures" of the New, the one representing the ministers of religion in both periods, the other symbolizing the ministers of the gospel in the latter, are both represented as full of eyes. Thus described, they resemble the prophets of old, denominated "seers. The many eyes ascribed to them may point out the enlarged capacities which they should have for

16 Exod. xxxiii. 20. 17 2 Cor. iv. 6. 18 Is. xlv. 22; see also ver. 23, 24. 19 Page 222. 20 The former occurs in the original of Is. xxviii. 15, and the latter in that of Is. xxxviii. 18. 21 Ezek. x. 13; and Rev. iv. 8.