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DISSERTATIONS

ON THE

FOEDERAL TRANSACTIONS, &c.

INTRODUCTION.

T is the peculiar excellence of Gofpel

Γ

revelation, to discover the origin of

evil; as alfo, that deliverance from it which God has provided for his people. Ever fince fin entered into this world, nature's light, in its moft cultivated ftate, has not only been altogether unfatisfactory, but even totally filent on each of these most interesting fubjects: The Holy Scriptures, however, are full and perfpicuous on both; they discover not only the caufe of our deftruction, but likeways the fource of our help. It is not the defign of the follow

*

A

ing

1

ing Differtations to consider that tranfaction which obtained between God and Adam, in his innocent ftate, the violation of which is the teeming fource of all evil; nor the eternal contract between the Father and the Son, which is the fountain of life unto the guilty foul: Yet, as the difpenfations of Grace are among the immediate causes of the Church's engagements to be the Lord's, we must premife a few things concerning that Covenant to which they belong. By way of preliminary, then, we shall first take a fhort furvey of that Covenant which obtained, from eternity, between God the Father and his Eternal Son. -Then we fhall confider the connection between the Covenant of Grace and the Church's Covenant of Duty.Afterwards, we shall attend unto the State of the Church, from the Fall of Adam until the Foederal Tranfaction between God and Noah.

FIRST, I am to take a fhort furvey of the Eternal Compact between God the Father and his only begotten Son. Το remove ambiguity, and prevent repetition, I fhall run over the various fignifications of the terms by which it is expressed in both

the

the Old and New Teftament. The term Covenant*, in the language of the Old Teftament, is derived from a word which fignifies to choose t: and is expreffive of the nature of a Fœderal Tranfaction, for a Covenant is that which both parties choose, and in which they agree. All God's promifes, for example, are free and fovereign acts of his will, manifefted unto men; and all genuine obedience on the part of his children is a free-will offering unto the Lord.

THE term Covenant is ufed both in a facred and civil fenfe. It is used in a civil fenfe to exprefs fuch leagues as obtained between Princes in ancient times ; but on this fenfe we need not infift.-When it is used in a facred fenfe it expreffeth,

1. THE Covenant which took place between God and Adam in Paradife,-which was broken by Adam; "But they like men have tranfgreffed the Covenant:" So

*. +2, elegit. This derivation is vindicated, Appendix No. I. For example, Gen. xiv. 13.-xxi. 27, 33-xxvi. 28.-xxxi. 44. &c.

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