COMMUNION. Joint participation in any fentiment, action, character, privilege, or enjoyment: approximation; intercourfe. A Communion, a body or fociety.

COVENANT. Mutual agreement or ftipulation, conditional promife. In the language of fcripture it fometimes fignifies abfolute promise or engagement; ordinance, inftitution, appointment, injunction, precept, command. Blood of the covenant: death of an animal, by which, anciently, in fome countries, covenants were confirmed and ratified; the parties imprecating upon themfelves a death as miferable as that which the animal ftruck by them, or before them, which they touched, or through the divided parts of which they walked, had fuffered, if they did not mean the things they faid, or did not perform the things they ftipulated: That by which both, or either of the contracting parties, on fuch occafions, give proof of their fincerity, and create confidence in their fidelity; that by which a promife is folemnly confirmed. See HEB. IX. 16. &c. JEREM. XXXIV. 18. &c. GEN. xv. 9. &c. Exod. xxiv. 3—8. RUTH I. 17. I SAM. XIV. 44. and elsewhere.

TO CREATE, in the language of fcripture does not always fignify to bring into existence; but to form, to fashion, to change the modes, qualities, or characters of a thing: to reform, to rectify.

Cup, is used figuratively for ftate, condition, circumstance, fortune, lot, affignment, inheritance, doom, deftination. This cup, my cup is the language in which Chrift fpeaks of the fufferings that awaited him in the caufe of God and truth.

DAY, in fcripture, often fignifies a scene or difpenfation of divine providence: a feafon : period of time, of different import according to the different adjuncts with which it is connected.

DEAD. Sinners, in whom the better principles of human nature are overpowered by evil habit, are faid to be dead, to be in the graves; and the gospel, in confideration of its power to rouze fuch finners out of their ftupor and fupinenefs, and to affift them in the recovery of their freedom, and their return to a better cha

racter,

racter, is faid to awaken them to life again, to call

them from their tombs.

DEATH. See VALLEY of the fhadow of.

ELECT. Separated from, distinguished above, chofen, favored. It is applied both to individuals and to bodies of men, in confideration, not of moral character, but of talents and privileges committed to them and conferred on It fometimes them; to Jews, to Chriftians. fignifies choice, precious, excellent, approved, beloved. Sometimes it is the fame with called, that is, it fignifies thofe who enjoy the benefits of the gofpel; at other times it is distinguished. from that term, that is, it fignifies those who acceptably improve these advantages. It is to be observed, however, that called fometimes approaches to the sense of chofen in the lastmentioned acceptation; that is, that it fignifies those who not only had the gospel preached to them, but who also received it.

EXEMPLAR. Pattern, model, fpecimen : This term affirmed of Chrift contains in it the fum and fubftance of the gospel, to wit, that in Chrift we have the example both of our

duty

duty and our recompenfe. He is the pattern of what we ought to be, and alfo of what we Shall be.

FACE OF GOD. See PRESENCE.

FAITH. Fidelity or truth, either of God or belief: fometimes belief of the word of God: credit given to Chrift, apoftles, evangelifts fometimes that perfuafion of mind by which we become fenfible to things invifible, past, or future: fometimes the doctrine of the gofpel confidered as depending upon the teftimony of Chrift: and fometimes that fame doctrine confidered as a depofite entrusted with thofe to whom it is made known.

FOE. Enemy: fometimes figuratively, any thing that is lefs acceptable in human circumftances, that may create difficulty, pain, or apprehenfion: Thus death is called the last enemy, and temptation, error, ignorance, appetite, the world, fickness, poverty, &c. are in a like fenfe, enemies of man. When God is faid to protect him, to provide for him, and to blefs him in fpite of all his foes, the fense is, that his fecurity and comfort is in the providence of

God;

God; that nothing hurts him against God's will; and that, notwithstanding (which is a very common acceptation of the phrafe, in spite of *) all the dangers to which he is exposed from that variety of evils that encompaffes him, God preferves him and befriends him. It is obvious that it is always true that God preferves us and provides for us in spite of foes, and but seldom true that he does it in fight of them.

FORM OF GOD. To be in the form of God, perhaps, to send out prophets who fhall deliver meffages received from God, and work miracles in his name.

GLORY. Splendor, brightness: distinction, excellence; difplay of excellence; fcenes and circumstances in which it appears or is displayed: admiration and praife, which excellence and the displays of it naturally call forth; high eftimation, honourable opinion, approbation: exultation, joy, triumph: fometimes, as diftinguished from grace denoting God's prefent mercies to us; glory is ufed to fignify the honors and felicities of heaven.

*See JOHNSON on the word Spite.

GOD.