The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§32

The Conditions of that Covenant.The Conditions of this Covenant strictly taken on the Part of God were a particular Protection, and the Supream Government over that People: So that God was pleased to call himself a God to the People of Israel, and that People his Peculiar; and also that he would bring them into the Land of Canaan. See Exod. 25. seq. Deut. 27:9, 10, 28: throughout; 29:1, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, seq. 30: throughout; 31:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 32:10. 1 Sam. 8:7. 12:22. 1 Kin. 8:9, 21, 51, 53. 9:6, &c. 2 Kin. 11:37. 17:7, &c. 15, &c. 23:3. 1 Chron. 18:21, 22. Psal. 44:17, &c. 80:18, 19. 105:8, 9, 10, 11. Jer. 11:3, &c. 16:11. Son of Sirach 17:15. And this Land he would maintain them in Possession of till the end of the Covenant was fulfill’d and compleated. The Conditions of this Covenant on the Part of the People were a peculiar Sanctity of Life and Manners, by which they might be distinguish’d from the Impurity of other Nations: See Exod. 19:5, 6, 8. 1 Pet. 2:9. Exod. 24:3, 7, 8. Lev. 20:22, &c. 26: throughout; Num. 23:9. Deut. 3:23, 40. 5:33. 6:21, &c. 11:22, &c. 26:16, &c. Jos. 24: throughout. To this Purpose he propos’d the Primitive Law reduced into Ten Heads to their Observation, with a particular Recommendation of the Precept concerning the Sabbath. See Exod. 31, &c. But not that they should obtain Eternal Life by the Observance of that, but that by forming their Lives according to that Rule they might testifie and declare that they were engag’d in the perpetual Covenant of God, and were ready and desirous, as far as the present State of Nature would permit, to perform and fulfil the Obligation which they were under to Almighty God as Creator, and that they might invite others by their Example to seek their Salvation in the same way with them. Whence the Punishment of Treason was appointed for those who should endeavour to seduce any of that People to a false Religion, as being a Crime against the whole State of the Nation, and tending to the Dissolution of it, Deut. 13: throughout; 17:2, &c. add 18, 19. Tho’ in Process of Time a false Perswasion took Possession of that People, as if an External and Superficial Observance of that Law would suffice them to the obtaining of their Salvation, Mat. 19:20. And this was among the Things which made the later Jews dream that they should have a Messiah; who being great himself in an earthly Authority and Power, would make them Partakers in the Glory and Greatness of his Dominion; and to forget, and take no manner of notice of, the Expiation of Sins, which was to be made by him. Against which Errour both our Saviour himself, and St. Paul, in his Epistles to the Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, sharply disputes. But especially was it enjoin’d to the Jews as a Federal Condition that they should exercise the Religion and Worship prescrib’d them by God, which was very laborious, and consisted of a Multitude of Ceremonies, was Uniform and Immutable, and different from the Rites and Religions of all other Nations. By which Rites of Worship, as by Types and Figures, the Office and Benefits of the Saviour were represented. To all which there was added a Law, that the People should not return into Egypt, but inhabit the Land assign’d them, and keep themselves separate from any Mixture with other People, and should in their Commonwealth govern themselves by the Laws which God had given them. And if that People had broken this Covenant by any enormous Violation of it we find that they sometimes renewed it, by a solemn swearing to it, 2 Chron. 15:12, &c. 23:16. 29:10. 30:6, &c. 34:31. Ezra 10:3. Neh. 9:38. Jer. 50:5.