and such souls for a recompence that in consequence of this, those souls must be saved, and those only, so that all others must be damned." I beseech you, where is this written? In what part of scripture is this covenant to be found?-We may well expect a thing of this moment to be revealed very expressly, with the utmost clearness and solemnity. But where is this done? And if it is not done, if there is no such account in all the bible; which shall we wonder at most, that any serious man should advance, or that thousands should believe, so strange an assertion, without one plain text of scripture to support it, from Genesis to the Revelation?

LXI. I suppose you do not imagine, that the bare word covenant, if it occurred ever so often in holy writ, is a proof of any such covenant as this. The grand covenant which we allow to be mentioned therein, is a covenant between God and man, established in the hands of a Mediator, who tasted death for every man,' and thereby purchased it for all the children of men. The tenor of it (so often mentioned already) is this, "Whosoever believeth unto the end, so as to shew his faith by his works, I the Lord will reward that soul eternally. But whosoever will not believe, and consequently dieth in his sins, I will punish him with everlasting destruction?"

LXII. To examine throughly whether this Covenant between God and man be unconditional or conditional, it may be needful to go back as far as Abraham, the father of the faithful: to inquire what manner of covenant it was, which God made with him? And whether any reason

be assigned, of God's peculiarly blessing Abra ham, and all the nations of the earth in him?

The first mention of the covenant between God and him, occurs Gen. xv. 18. The same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, unto thy seed will I give this land.'But this is much more explicitly related in the seventeenth chapter, ver. 1, &c. 'The Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee-Every man-child among you shall be circumcised-it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you--The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off; he hath broken my covenant.' So we see, this original covenant, though everlasting, was conditional, and man's failing in the condition cleared God.

LXIII. We have St. Paul's account of this covenant of God with Abraham, in the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Romans (ver. 3, &c.) 'Abraham,' saith he, 'believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.' (This was a little before God established his covenant

with him, and is related Gen. xv. 6.) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; and the father of circumcision (i. e. of them that are circumcised) to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised.' Now, if these words do not express a conditional covenant, certainly none can.

LXIV. The nature and ground of this covenant of God with Abraham is farther explained. Gen. xviii. 19. And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him: and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring unto Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."

Does God say here, I will do it, because I will? Nothing less.. The reason is explicitly assigned: All nations shall be blessed in him: For he will command his children, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.”

The reason is yet more (clearly, it cannot, but more) fully set down in the twenty-second chapter (ver. 16, &c.)

By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, BECAUSE thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in bles

sing I will bless thee--and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;' that is, the Messiah shall spring from thee, 'BECAUSE thou hast obeyed my voice.'

This is yet again declared, chap. xxvi. (ver. 2, &c.) And the Lord appeared unto Isaac, and said--Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and bless thee: for unto thee, and unto thy seed I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed: Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge. my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.' LXV. This covenant made to Abraham and his seed, is mentioned again, Exod. xix. (ver. 3, &c.) And the Lord called unto Moses, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.-Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.'

In the following chapter God declares the terms of the covenant they were to keep, in ten commandments. And these themselves are sometimes termed the covenant, sometimes the book of the covenant. So chap. xxiv. (ver. 4, &c.) after God had made an end of speaking to the people, it is said, And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning-and he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people; and they said, all that the Lord hath said will we do.→

And Moses took the blood (of the burnt-offering) and sprinkled it on the people, and said, behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.'

After the people had broken this covenant by worshipping the golden calf, God renews it, chap. xxxiv. where we read, (ver. 27, 28.) And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words, for after the tenour of these words, I have made a covenant with thee and with Israeland he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.'

LXVI. According to the tenour of this covenant made to Abraham and his seed, God afterward declares, (Levit. xxvi. 3, &c.) If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my command ments, and do them, then I will establish my covenant with you, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people--But if ye will not hearken unto me, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant, I will set my face against you, and I will avenge the quarrel of my covenant--yet if they shall confess their iniquity, and if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled--then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember.' Consequently the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was conditional, as well as that with their posterity.

LXVII. "But is not the faithfulness of God engaged to keep all that now believe from falling away?" I cannot say that. Whatever assurance God may give to particular souls, I find no gen