will, and in our nature to answer the law of mediation, which was prescribed to him.

§18. For this being declared to be the mutual frame of God and his wisdom towards one another, wisdom proceeds to manifest with what respect towards outward things it was, that they were so mutually affected, ver. 31; “Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his "earth, and my delights were with the sons of men." That the things here spoken of were transacted in eternity, or before the creation, is evident in the context. The counsels, therefore, of God and wisdom, with respect to the sons of men, are here expressed. The Word was now ordained, even before the foundation of the world, to the work of mediation and redemption, 1 Pet. i, 20. And many of the sons of men were chosen in him, to grace and glory, Ephes. i, 4; and the bringing of them to that glory, whereto they were chosen, was committed to him, as the captain of their salvation. This work, and the contemplation thereof, he now delights in, because of that eternity of Divine glory, which was to ensue thereon.

And these things are revealed for our consolation, and the strengthening of our faith; for if there were such mutual delights between the Father and the Son, in the Divine counsel, concerning the work of our redemption; and if the Son so rejoiced in the prospect of his own undertaking to that end, we need not doubt, but that he will powerfully and effectually accomplish it; for all the difficulties of it lay open and naked under his eye, yet he rejoiced in the thoughts of his engagements to remove and conquer them. He now saw the law of God established and fulfilled, the justice of God satisfied, his glory repaired, Satan under his feet, and his works destroyed. Here we place the first spring of the priesthood of Christ, which is ex

pressed by the mutual delight of the Father and Son. It was founded on love and grace, though in its exercise it respects holiness and justice also.

$19. The same truth also seems to be expressed, Psal. ii, 7; "I will declare the decree the Lord hath "said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I be"gotten thee." From this place the ancient doctors* constantly acknowledge, that the Messiah was to be the Son of God; or rather, that the Son of God was to be the Messiah. Hence was the inquiry of the high priest, Matt. xxvi, 63; "I adjure thee by the liv"ing God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ "the Son of God." According to the faith of their church, he takes it for granted, that the Christ and the Son of God was the same. The same confession, on the same principle, Nathanael made, John i, 49; "Thou "art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel." And Peter's confession, Matt. xvi, 16; John vi, 69; "Thou "art that Christ the Son of the living God," was nothing but a due application of the faith of the Judaical church to the person of our Savior, which faith of their's was principally built on this testimony, where God expressly calls the Messiah his Son. There is, therefore, an illustrious testimony in these words, given to the eternal pre-existence of the Lord Christ, in his Divine nature, before his incarnation. And this causeth the adversaries of that sacred truth, to turn themselves into all shapes, to avoid the force of it.

What Eniedinus says, "That none of these things "belong to Jesus Christ," is above the rate of ordinary confidence. All the apostles do not only jointly, and with one accord, apply the things here spoken to the

*So Maimonides, Jarchi, and Kimchi confess. The words of Jarchi are plain and remarkable: "Our Masters expounded this psalm concerning the king Messiah."

Lord Jesus, but also give a clear exposition of the words as a ground of that application; a thing seldom done by the sacred writers, Acts iv, 24-28; "They "lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and "said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven "and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; who, "by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why "did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain "things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the "rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and "against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy "child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod "and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people "of Israel, were gathered together to do whatsoever "thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be "done." In their judgment, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Romans, the great rulers over the world, were the kings and rulers intended in this psalm. And so also the (2) Heathen, they took to be the Gentiles, who adhered to Pilate in the execution of his Gentile power; and the (D) people mentioned to be the people of Israel. It appears, therefore, that there were eternal transactions between the Father and the Son, concerning the redemption of mankind, by his interposition and mediation.

$20. (II.) Our next inquiry relates to those eternal transactions, which may be considered under the notion of a covenant between the Father and the Son. I shall, therefore, first, manifest the existence of such a covenant; and then, secondly, insist on that part of it, which refers to the Redeemer's priesthood.

We must distinguish between God's covenant to men, concerning Christ, and that made with his Son, concerning men. The former is commonly termed the covenant of grace; which hath subsisted, under

various forms of external administration, ever since the fall, and shall continue in full force to the consummation of all things. The latter, which is now the subject of inquiry, is the personal compact, which the holy scriptures represent to have taken place between the Father and the Son, before all worlds.

$21. Before we proceed, it may be proper to consider briefly the name and nature of a covenant in general. The Hebrews call a "covenant” (n) berith, the Greeks (uvox, and the Latins fœdus.) Solemn covenants, especially between God and his people, were confirmed by sacrifice; See Psal. 1, 5; which appears highly probable from what is recorded of Adam and Eve being clothed with skins; and is abun-. dantly clear from the history of Noah and Abraham, Gen. ix, 15. Whereby we learn, that no covenant could take place between God and man, after the entrance of sin, but in virtue of that sacrifice of our High Priest, which these represented. Hence some derive the Latin word (fœdus a feriendo) from striking; and also a custom which prevailed among the idolatrous heathens, who, in making a covenant cut a beast in pieces, laying one half over against another, and so passing between them; which farther denoted an imprecation, as it were, upon themselves, that they might be so cut in pieces, if they stood not to the covenant terms. The Greek word (uvenиn) is constantly used in all good authors, for a solemn covenant between nations and persons; but the Septuagint translators, observing that berith in the Hebrew, was of a larger signification, have rendered it constantly by another Greek word (dialynn.)

The word berith is variously used in the Old Testament; nor are learned men agreed about its derivation. However, all covenants are either between the con

queror and the conquered, or between enemies in equal power, or between those who were never at variance; and the end of all is mutual peace and security. Hence Job v, 23; "Thy covenant shall be with the stones of "the field;" that is, metonymically, thou shalt have no hurt from them; because peace and concord are the end of covenants. The law, written on the two tables of stone, was called a "covenant," Exod. xxxiv, by a synechdoche; for no mere precept, or even promise, can be a covenant properly so called. Again, the term is used for an absolute promise, Isa. lix, 21; "As for "me, that is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; "my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words, which I "have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy "mouth," &c. And God also calls the appointment of day and night his covenant, Jer. xxxiii, 20. Hence it appears that the word is used in various senses, which must be sought from the connexion; seeing there is no precept, or promise of God, but may be so called. And it is worthy our notice, that though no outward signs ever belonged to the essence of a covenant, God never made a covenant with men, but he always gave them a token, and visible pledge thereof. And whosoever is interested in the covenant itself, hath an undoubted right to the Divinely-appointed token.

$22. An absolute complete covenant is, "a volunta"ry agreement between distinct persons, about the dis"posal of things in their power, to their mutual concern "and advantage." Distinct persons are required in a covenant; for it is a mutual compact; it must be voluntary, with respect to the terms, this being the foundation of all solemn covenants; and the matter of it must be of things in the power of them who cov