If one side promise his part is not a Covenant except both do So that that transaction between God and the people at Sinai was properly a Covenant Exod. 19. 3 4 5 6 7 8. though God had not yet told the People what Laws he would require Obedience to in particular for Moses come's with a message to the people from God and tells them that if they will obey his Voice and keep his Covenant i. e. his Law they should be a peculiar Treasure unto him and a Kingdom of Priests that is He would be their God to bless them if they would be his people to obey him This was Gods Promise in this Covenant the people give this answer unanimously We consent we will obey God in all his Commands be they what they will though they were not told yet what his Commands should be But this though a Covenant was but in order to the great Solemnization of this Covenant which was Exod. 24. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Where having given the Moral-Law the Ten Commandments and some Judicial and Ceremonial Laws Moses comes down from God and relates them to the people And the people answered All that the Lord hath spoken We will do meaning all that he hath or shall speak for the addition of new commands did not make so many New-covenants Well Now God hath promised on his part to be their God if they will obey his Law Moses writeth these Laws that are rehearsed in the 20 21 22 23 chapters and consecrateth some young men to offer Sacrifice for Aaron and his Sons were not separated till the year after He made the people confirm their Covenant by Sacrifices as we do by Sacraments He read the Book of the Covenant that is the Book comprehending the Laws fore-mentioned and he sprinkles the Blood of the Sacrifices on the people and saith Behold the Blood of the Covenant which God hath made with you concerning all these Words that is all these Commands Thus the word is used most properly of such a Transaction God hath engaged himself to bless them if they would serve him and they have engaged themselves to serve him Sometimes the word Covenant is used for the Promise of one of the Parties only as Gods conditional Promises that if we will in sincerity Love Serve and Obey him he will be our God to bless us This is not a Covenant in the strictest sense but a conditional Promise yet is so called frequently in Scripture because it is Gods part of the Covenant yea all God's part of the Covenant of Grace and all that he Seals or Promises and when we do in sincerity promise our part these together make it actually a Covenant He engaged actually to bless us and we to serve him Yea if we promise only hypocritically yet we are engaged so as we are guilty of Covenant-breaking though God is not engaged by his conditional Promise we not being real in performing the condition So our promising engaging to obey may be called our Covenant because it is our part of the Covenant and all required of us is so to engage and be real in it But most frequently in Scripture the Laws of God the Precepts themselves are called the Covenant being the Laws that God hath made Promises to the obedience of and that the people by their engagement are bound to observe Deut. 4. 13. Sometimes the word is used in other senses as for an absolute Promise as that of destroying the World no more with a Flood but these significations before named are all that I shall have occasion to make use of Now to make it appear that the Promises and Precepts of the Covenant made in Mount Sinai and the Land of Moab were the same Consider This Book of Deuteronomium signifying the second Law is so called as all agree because it contains a repetition of the Laws formerly promulgated almost all of them were made at Mount Sinai above thirty nine years before this Deuteronomium this Repetition of the Law was Spoken or Written The occasion of which Repetition of the Law which may well be called the Prophet Moses's Fare-wel Sermon was as follows That actual Covenanting that was made at Mount Sinai or Horeb was in the first year yea within two months after they came out of Aegypt Exod. 19. 1. And all the people that were Twenty years old at their numbering which was in the second year after their coming out of Egypt are now dead for their murmuring except Caleb and Joshuah and Moses and so there was great need to cause this new Generation of people to enter actually into Covenant to keep Gods Laws which Joshuah caused them to do again after at less than half that distance of time The appointed time of the end of the forty years drew near for the peoples entering the good Land and Moses must not bring them thither nor enter himself Now Moses well knowing all these things and that his departure was at hand for he died within a Month after his beginning this Repetition of the Law to the people for he began it the first day of the Eleventh Month in the Fortieth year and died in the end of that Month for the people mourned for him Thirty dayes viz. the whole Month after Deut. 1. 3. and Chap. 34. 8. compared I say Moses foreknowing this and earnestly desiring to tye the people that he was about to leave fast to God and his Laws he begins in the hearing of the people in the Land of Moab a Month before he died Deut. 1. 3. 5. to take an effectual course to inform them in the knowledg of God's Laws and to engage them to Obedience by reciting and Summing up the Transactions of God towards them in the Wilderness and all the Laws Moral Judicial and Ceremonial yet leaving out for the most part those Judicial and Ceremonial commands that concerned the Priests Office or were not of ordinary Practice and adds some commands especially concerning things to be done by them when they come into the Promised Land And affectionately exhorts them to obey these commands with all their Heart and Soul ever and anon intermixing discourses of the Blessings would come on them by their obedience and Miseries by disobedience This is the Sum of his Discourse to this Chap. 29. He that shall think that all the Promises and Threats in this Book hitherto do only mundum sonare are only Temporal sure a vail is upon his Eyes and Heart in reading the Old Testament And then in this Chap. 29. Having thus far prepared them to do what they do knowingly and affectionately He engages them in a Covenant even with an Oath which was more than was done in Sinai to keep all these Laws He begins his Prologue to this actual Engagement as at Sinai with these words You have seen v. 2. v. 9. keep therefore the words of this Covenant that is the commands that I have repeated unto you that you may prosper in
all that you do v. 10. You stand here this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains your Elders your little Ones your Wives that you should enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord maketh with thee this day that he may Establish thee to day for a people to himself that He may be unto thee a God as he hath sworn unto thy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob i. e. to give their Seed this good Land And tells them If they forsake God and God bring on this Land the curse of the Covenant written in the Book of this Law and make it like Sodom and Gomorrah and men shall say What means the heat of this great Anger It shall be answered Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers which He made with their Fathers when he brought them out of the Land of Egypt that is which he made almost Forty years since with the Fathers of this Generation at Sinai v. 21 25. And He spends the next Chapter which the Author makes part of his New-covenant partly in telling them God would when cast out of their Land for their sins yet admit them again to it if they repent and turn as He told them before also what ever this Author saith of that admitting no Repentance as you may see apparent Lev. 26. 40 41 44 45 46. Yea this place of Leviticus which is said expresly to be spoken at Sinai v. 64. is rather more express for Repentance being accepted than this the Author so much insists on And partly in telling them that he hath told them plainly what the Laws of God are which if they observe they shall live and need not go beyond the Sea to enquire what they may do to be happy and partly in warning them to keep these Laws The whole contents of this Book of Deuteronomy to the end of this Thirtieth Chapter was not only spoken to the people within a Month before his Death which is apparent but it is very probable within a few of the first days of the Month the latter part of the Month being taken up with his writing it Chap. 31. 9. And giving a charge to the Priests and Levites and in his presenting himself with Joshuah before the Lord in the Tabernacle that God might give Joshuah a charge Chap. 31. 9 10 14 15. and in Speaking and Writing the Song called Moses Song and teaching the people it v. 22. And in blessing the people Chap. 33. And observe This Deuteronomy this Fare-well Speach of Moses all of it however to the 29th Chapter was when Moses had written it given to the Priests with a command that it should be Read in the hearing of the people met together every Seventh year as being very sutably Pen'd for their Instruction Chap. 31. 9 10 11 12 13. And it is commanded that when they should have a King that he shall in the beginning of his Reign Write out a Copy of this Book Chap. 17. 18. The last Chapter of this Book was added by some other than Moses as is apparent It 's likely by Joshuah You see now there is no colour to pretend that the Covenant spoken of Deut. 39. 1. means only that Chapter and the following much less that these Two Chapters only of all Moses writings have only Spiritual commands and Spiritual promises and give way and make Promises to Repentance For as for the Spirituality of the Laws in this Chapter it doth not Recite the Laws they were here engaged to obey not so much as the Ten Commandments whereof some are sure Spiritual commands and the sincere observing of them is certainly the condition of the Gospel but shew plainly This Covenant obliges them to keep all the Laws given at Mount Sinai And for the Promises and Threatnings they are expressed in as Terrene Expressions here as in most other places And as for this of Repentance see Lev. 26. 40. When they shall be in Ages to come almost destroyed with Judgments threatned for their sins if they shall confess their Iniquities and the Iniquities of their Fathers v. 41. And if their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they then accept the punishment of their Iniquities I will not cast them away but will remember their Land v. 45. I will for their sakes remember the Covenant of their Ancestors whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt that is This at Sinai for none other of their Ancestors were brought out of the Land of Egypt v. 46. These are the Statutes and Judgments and Laws which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai So Deut. 4. 29. If ye shall be scattered for your sins amongst the Heathen being driven out of your own Land and shall there serve other Gods of Wood and Stone If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul v. 31. For the Lord thy God is a merciful God Exod. 34. 6. He proclaimed himself thus from Sinai The Lord the Lord gracious and merciful forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin c. As for Deuteronomy 29. 1. These are the words of the Covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Children of Israel in the Land of Moab beside the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb It seems apparent to me that this verse hath reference to the Laws and Precepts before Recited by Moses in his past Oration to the people and the meaning of the words is this These fore-Recited Commands are the Laws which the people covenanted to keep which covenanting of the people the Lord commanded Moses to require from them in the Land of Moab beside that covenanting which Moses required from the people in Horeb. Which I will make plain in Reciting these words again with the sense they are used in in other Scriptures These are the words that is the Laws or Precepts for so words is used apparently v. 9. and 2 Kings 23. 3. Deut. 27. 26. Exod. 24. 28. So also the Ten Commandments are called the Ten-words Deut. 4. 13. and Chap. 10. 4. And the Words Exod. 20. 1. of the Covenant By Covenant is here meant the peoples promise to obey the peoples actual Engagement so the word Covenant is used 2 Kings 12. 17. and Chap. 23. 3. and 2 Chro. 15. 12. which that is which Covenant which actual Promise not which words for that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used appropriately for making a Covenant will by no means bear So that it is an apparent Errour in the Septuagint to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning is * I had written this before Mr. Pool's Elabâ—â—tate and useful Synopsis was published and upon â—eading the Criâ—icks and some others could find none concurring with me but now in his Book I find
Pâ—scaâ—or interpreting the words beside the Covenant thus Praeter actionem illam qua foedus fuit pactum which can mean nothing but the peoples Engagement which actual promise of the people the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel that is which the Lord commanded Moses to cause the children of Israel to make for so this phrase and word is expresly used Josh 24. 25. Joshuah made a Covenant with the people that day that is caused the people to promise obedience to the Lords Commands that day The like sense the word hath so far as concerns the Covenanting of the people 2 Kings 11. 17. in the Land of Moab beside the Covenant that is beside their actual promising which Moses made with them that is caused them to make at Horeb or Sinai But suppose this Verse should have reference only to the following Verses in this Chapter and the following his meaning can only be These are the words whereby he engaged the people in a Covenant distinct from the words whereby Moses engaged them in a Covenant to the Lord formerly We find Joshuah a little before his death again engaging the people in a Covenant to obey Gods Commandments and useth Words and Exhortations different from these in this Chapter in engaging them Suppose we had read such words as these viz. These are the words of the Covenant which Joshuah made with the people besides the Covenant which Moses made with them at Mount Sinai and in the Land of Moab This might import that it was a distinct Engaging of the people from the other two but not that it was another Covenant of God having other Promises and Commands and Threats We find the people in Nehemiah's time Nehem. 10. 29. entering into a Covenant But it was into the Mount Sinai-Covenant It was to walk in God's Law which was given by Moses and we may see there it was also to observe Ceremonial and Judicial commands It seems they had not observed this New-covenant of this Authors in these two Chapters of Deuteronomy Object But may not this whole Book of Deuteronomy being spoken in the Land of Moab comprehend a new Gospel-Covenant distinct from the Old at Sinai and so that be serviceable to reconcile those passages of the Apostle Paul in dispute the Author's way Answ No For the Apostle Paul cites Gal. 3. two Passages out of this Book for words of the Law And again There are by far more Promises and Threatnings in this Book expressed in a Carnal Temporal and Terrence stile than in all the Law of Moses beside in Exodus Leviti Numb I am sensible this Ignis fatuus hath led me out of my designed way for I designed here only to bring in those Passages together without any reflection upon them where the Author tells us what he supposes the Apostle Paul means by the Law which he disputes against Justification by and by the Works of even a Law that either hath or at least in the sense the Apostle opposeth Justification by it hath neither Spiritual-promises nor Threatnings nor Precepts There is only one place more and that is pag. 122 123. where he explains the Apostle's meaning by the Law but because I have been long in Reciting these and that wâ—ll methodically be brought in in another place I shall bring it in there and so shall return now to the place where I left off viz. At the end of pag. 102. and shall begin at the top of pag. 103. where he tells us The Apostle useth two Arguments against Justification by Works which two Arguments this Author only prosecutes and so largely that the Setting down and Proving and Explaining these takes up almost two third parts of his whole Book Take his own words Pag 103. The Arguments whereby Paul opposes the Law may be divided into two sorts one into those which belong to the whole Mosaic-Covenant the other into those Arguments which chiefly respect the Ceremonial Law This latter sort of Arguments which chiefly respect the Ceremonial-Law he leaves till near the end of his Book and then spends but few Lines about them as not being as he saith controverted by Christians The Arguments of this first sort whereby the Apostle fights are especially two and those are taken from a double defect of the Mosaic-Covenant viz. From the want both of pardoning Grace and of helping Grace The first Argument of the Apostle respecting the Mosaic-Covenant is drawn from the defect of Pardoning-grace or Remission of sins which that Covenant wanted Where the Apostle shews the Universal guilt as well of the Jews as of the Gentiles and that all are guilty of those sins that there is no true and perfect Remission to be hoped for by this Law It is clear that this is the scope of Paul in the third Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans For there after a long Catalogue of sins charged both on the Jews and Gentiles by the Law v. 10. c. At length ver 20. he inferrs this conclusion Wherefore by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight viz. in the sight of God And also the things which the Apostle disputes in the 3d. Chap. of Gal. are to be referred the same way where he proves also by this Reason That all who are under the Law are under a Curse because it is written Cursed is every one that shall not continue in all things written in the Law to do them v. 10. But here I am sensible that upon the very Threshold I am cast upon a great difficulty For it may be doubted here whether this Argumentation of the Apostle doth not lean upon this Foundation that he determines The Mosaic-Law as it was given to the Jews was a Law requiring Obedience wholly perfect and so impossible to be performed and also whether the Apostle conclude that upon this account all men are sinners by this Law and by and for their sins guilty of eternal Death and Malediction and so that no man can be Justified by this Law Thus indeed the most think affirming that the Law of Moses did oblige if not absolutely yet †Conditionally is no good word here For though we may properly say Men shall perish for their sins conditionally except they repent for this is no more than to say the Law that threatens death absolutely shall be executed except they repent yet we must not say that the Law threatens death conditionally except they repent but we must hold it threatens death absolutely repent or repent not and that the Gospel is a distinct Law a Remedying-Law For if God threatned death by the Law only conditionally except they perform the Gospel-condition it would follow that no man is pardoned that performs the Gospel condition it would also quite destroy Christs Satisfaction Though I know many mean well that use such speeches and however far better than the Author that denies any such Law-threat either absolute or conditional conditionally