that the law of God ought to be the rule of their lives; but, to use the modern phrase, they professed the consent of their wills. "All the words which the Lord hath spoken, will we do." And God declares that this was "well said." And had there been "such an heart in them," answerable to their visible profession, they would have been Israelites indeed: for their hearts would then have been right in the sight of God, and they would have been steadfast in bis covenant. Num. xxxii. 11, 12. Their profession therefore was full enough, but they lied to God with their tongues. Their profession was as full as God desired: but there was not such an heart in them. Ps. lxxviii. 26, 37. For,

Heb. viii.

5. It is the peculiar character of the regenerate cordially to receive the divine law as the rule of their lives. 10. But it is the universal character of the unregenerate to be in a state of total contrariety to the divine law in their hearts. Rom. viii. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. Therefore,

6. As every true believer does cordially receive the law of God for the rule of his life, so he may understandingly and honestly profess it: but one whose heart is in a state of total contrariety to the divine law, if he understands and honestly. speaks the truth, must say, "I am not subject to the divine law, neither indeed can I be; yea, so far from it, that I am at enmity against God." But,

7. None of the religious seekings and endeavours of one, in whom a total non-compliance with God's holy covenant takes place, are of the nature of a compliance with that covenant, in the least degree; as is self-evident. Therefore,

8. There is no way left for a profession of a compliance with God's holy covenant, to those who know themselves to be unconverted, (without lying,) but to deny the doctrine of total depravity. For since the covenant cannot be proved to be an unholy graceless one, we must pretend that graceless sinners have some grace, in order to obtain our end. But,

9. If unconverted sinners have that grace, which is a compliance with the covenant of grace, then they are entitled

to the blessings of the covenant of grace, to pardon, justification, and eternal life; to say which, is at once to set aside the whole New Testament. Thus stands the case.

Now what method Mr. M. will take to get along with his scheme, after time for reconsideration, is not yet known or whether a gentleman of so much good sense will not rather give it up.

OBJEC. But if these things are true, it will follow, that the covenant with Abraham, the Sinai covenant, and the Gospel covenant, are for substance one and the same covenant; even the covenant of grace: but this does not agree with many Scripture texts. For the apostle Paul distinguishes between the Abrahamic covenant and the Sinai covenant, between the promise to Abraham and the law which was 430 years after, and calls them two covenants. Gal. 3. 16, 17, 18. and Chap. 4. 24. And he represents the Sinai covenant, which he calls the law as requiring perfect obedience on pain of the curse. Chap. iii. 10. And affirms that by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified. Rom iii. 20. Gal. ii. 16. And that Abraham was not justified by the law, but by faith. Gal. iii. 6, 7, 8, 9. And that the law is not of faith, ver. 12. but a school-master to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Ver. 24. Moreover, it is plainly intimated, that in the Sinai covenant God did not communicate sanctifying grace to those that were under it; but that in the Gospel covenant he does. At Mount Sinai God wrote the law on tables of stone, and obliged the people to keep it; but did not give them a heart to do so: but in the new covenant God writes his law on the heart, i. e. by the influences of his Spirit, gives a disposition of mind answerable to the law. Heb. viii. 8. 12. Therefore Paul calls the Sinai covenant the ministration of death and condemnation, and the letter that killeth, in distinction from the Gospel, which he calls the spirit which giveth life, the ministration of the spirit, and the ministration of righteousness. 2 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 8.

ANS. As Mr. M. maintains that the Abrahamic, the Sinai, and the Gospel covenants, are for substance one and the same covenant; so the foregoing objection cannot consistently

be made by him or by his admirers; nor has he taken any notice of it. It may suffice therefore to say,

1. That every self-righteous Jew. was disposed to consider the Old Testament as a covenant of works, and every selfrighteous Christian is disposed to consider the New Testament in the same light. They attended the externals of that dispensation, and expected to find acceptance with God, by what they did. Luke xviii. 11. Rom. ix. 31. 32. And their example is closely followed by too many under the Christian dispensation: neither of them understanding the true nature of the divine law. Rom. vii. 8, 9.

2. It is readily granted, that St. Paul taught that all selfrighteous sinners, be they Jews or Christians, are under a law which requires perfect obedience on pain of eternal damnation that this law is holy, just, and good; that they are in duty bound to fulfil this law themselves; that God is not bound to give them any assistance at all; and that it curses every one that continueth not in all things. And it is readily granted, that this law is a ministration of death and condemnation, and killeth. It was ordained to life, i. e. it promises life to every one that lives up to it; but it is found to be unto death to every one who makes the attempt. Rom. vii. 10.

3. It is readily granted, that this law is as different from the Abrahamic covenant, and the Gospel covenant, as the covenant of works is from the covenant of grace: and that it was the design of the apostle to set this difference in a clear and striking light, that he might kill all the self-righteous hopes of the self-righteous sinner; and convince him that there is no hope in his case, but of mere free grace through Jesus Christ. Gal. iii. 10. 24. Rom. iii. 9. 25.

4. It is also granted, that this law was one principal part of the Sinai covenant; and that every carnal Jew was under it, and held bound by it. Yea, that it is the peculiar privilege of the true believer to be delivered from it; and that by being united to and interested in Christ Jesus, the second Adam, who hath completely answered its demands; Rom. vi. 14. and chap. vii. 4, 5, 6. Gal. ii. 19, 20. and chap. ii. 10. 14. And to grant these things, is to grant all that the apostle says

about this law. And yet consistently with all these things it may be asserted, that,

5. The Mosaic dispensation did reveal a way in which pardon of sin might be obtained: it did exhibit in types a shadow of the Gospel-way of obtaining pardon. See the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 16th chapters of Leviticus. And it did promise pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace to the penitent believer. Lev. xxvi. 40, 41, 42. Deut. xxx. 1-6. And the land of Canaan was a designed type of heaven; and long life and prosperity there, of eternal life and blessedness above. Heb. iv. 1-11. But this is the sum of what is intended, when the Sinai covenant is represented as a covenant of grace.

6. The Israelites, when they entered into covenant at Mount Sinai in words, did by their unbelief reject the covepant of grace in their hearts. Psalm lxxviii. 36, 37. Heb. iii. 19. And therefore, notwithstanding they were then visibly married to GoD in a covenant containing the promises before mentioned, whereby they laid themselves under bonds to keep covenant; yet GOD was not obliged to give them a heart to keep covenant, by any promise contained in that dispensation, as he would have been had they been sincere, and as he is to all who are united to Christ by a true and living faith. And so it came to pass that they broke covenant, in an open, public manner; and he regarded them not, but their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Whereas GoD writes his law in the heart of the true believer, and effectually inclines him to walk in his ways. And thus every false professor, whether Jew or Christian, will fall short of the heavenly Canaan; as it is written, John xv. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. But,

7. If any, after all, shall insist that the Sinai covenant was merely a covenant of works, and that the Abrahamic covenant was not in any sense contained in it, they ought to consider, that if this be so, then the Sinai covenant ought to be entirely left out of the account in the present dispute, and circumcision ought to be considered as being in no sense a

seal of it. For it was appointed to be a seal of the Abrahamic covenant, and of no other; and therefore if the Abrahamic covenant was in no sense a part of the Sinai covenant, then circumcision was in no sense a seal of the Sinai covenant. For no new seals to the covenant of works have been appointed since Adam was turned out of paradise. And as for Mr. M.'s external graceless covenant, it never had any existence. The bible knows nothing about it, either name or thing. We have already seen that it is not contained in the Old Testament, and we shall presently perceive that it is not to be found in the New.

SECTION IV.

The Gospel of Christ essentially different from Mr. Mather's external graceless covenant.

IT is true, the Gospel consists in an external revelation; but then the thing revealed, is the way of salvation by free grace through Jesus Christ. It is also true, that the call of the Gospel is an external call; but then the thing it calls us unto, is a belief and compliance with the way of salvation by free grace through Jesus Christ. The Gospel consists in the clearest and fullest external revelation of the way in which GOD may be just, and yet justify and save sinners; which way of salvation it constantly invites sinners to comply with, that they may be pardoned and saved; saying, come, for all things are now ready. Mat. xxii. 4. This may be called an external covenant, as it is a visible exhibition of the covenant of grace, with which professors of Christianity visibly comply in a profession of repentance toward GoD, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. But in this view it is essentially different from Mr. M.'s external covenant. For the Gospel covenant promises pardon and eternal life to those who really comply with it; but one may comply with Mr. M.'s external covenant in sincerity and truth, and yet have no grace, and finally perish. For Mr. M.'s external covenant does not require saving grace, and may be perfectly complied with by one who is