1. THE promifes were intimated to David by the miniftry of Nathan. It is to this revelation of them we have chiefly attended, which was bestowed for his fatisfaction, as to building the temple; and it was every way adequate to the purpose. Accordingly, it produced a gratulatory prayer at that time, which merits particular confideration. There is one thing in particular, even the fource of all these exceeding great and precious promifes, upon which he dilates; and on which we fhall dwell a little at this time. "Then went king David in before the Lord; and he faid, What am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou haft brought me hitherto? And this was yet a finall thing in thy fight, O Lord God; but thou haft spoken alfo of .thy fervant's houfe, for a great while to come: and is this the manner of man, O Lord God." The laft fentence I would choose to render, " This is the law of that Adam (who is) the Lord Jehovah*.” The scope of the place is, as if the royal prophet

2 Sam. vii. 18, 19.

There are few places in which our tranflators fhoct wider of the mark than in this text. They give this last fentence the form of an interrogation; but there is not the smallest veftige of an interrogation in all the verfe. But this is not all, our tranflators feem to have mistaken the meaning and connection of the terms, as well as the nature of the fentence. in, which our tranflators render MANNER, denotes a DISPOSITION, or constitution; LAW, OF SETTLEMENT: and it exprefleth the will of the Father in the eternal covenant, Pfal. xl. 8. "Thy LAW

is within my heart." The appointment of Jefus Chrift

Еее

prophet had faid, "It was not mine own merit, or that of mine ancestors, which moved thee to fpare us hitherto: What are both in thy fight? But prefervation in common Providence, fafety amidst a thoufand dangers is nothing, compared with that perpetuity which is fecured to my Seed, in the enjoyment of a kingdom! Even the kingdom of the Meffiah, which can never be deftroyed. Whence is all this favour to my family; when others, equal

ly

to be a furety for finners, had in it the nature of a law, in refpect of the immutable nature of it ;-in respect of its obligation on the confcience of his human nature. This term feems to be of a like import with 7, used in the parallel text, 1 Chron xvii. 17. where it ought to be rendered DISPOSITION, or COVENANT. The term

is a proper name in 2 Sam. vii. 19. as well as in 1 Chron. xvii. 17. and fhould be rendered THAT ADAM; fo it was by the Vulgate; and alfo by Pagnin and in the Tigurine verfion. Nor can it be reafonably objected, that this view is inconfiftent with the ufe of emphatic; for, though proper names do not ordinarily admit of it, yet, when any illuftrious perfon is mentioned, his name receives this prefix, to point him out as it were with the finger, Numb. xiii. 22, and 28. 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. Aben-Ezra concludes, that fome mystery is intended when this form of speech is ufed; and no one thing can be more myflerious than the object of David's admiration: It is even THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GODLINESS, GOD' MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH For Ha-Adam is of the fame cafe with Adonai Jehovah. The meaning is, This illuftrious Adam is the Lord Jehovah; or, as Paul exprefleth it," THE SECOND MAN, THE LORD FROM HEAVEN." The terms are fo connected by the accentuation, in the infpired original, that they cannot be applied unto any, but one and the fame perfon. In this manner

was

ly worthy, fink down into oblivion? This kindnefs can proceed from no other fource than THAT LAW by which the Lord Jehovah was conftituted the Second Adam. Nor would my family be worthy of prefervation for a great while to come, didft not thou intend to raife the Second Adam from it in the fulness of time. I acknowlege I could never account for fuch promifes as thou haft made, but on the plan of fovereign grace, manifefted in the

Council

was the text rendered and explained by Luther, Tom. VIII. Jen. German, p. 145. Feffel. Adverfar. Lib. VI. cap. iv. Calov. Bibl. Illuftrat. p. 768. Walther. Harmon. Bibl. P. 384, 385, 386.The parallel text leads alfo unto this view of the term, 1 Chron. xvii. 17. The term is in the fame form as in 2 Sam. vii. 19. And there is also a diftinguishing property afcribed to him, by which he

,Our tranflation has it : האדם המעלה,may be known

"And has regarded me according to the eftate of a man of high degree, O Lord God." But the phrafe cannot be fo rendered; as this fenfe of it is not juftified by Scripture nfe. As Peters, the author above quoted, obferves, ma-yelah denotes either FUTURE OF ABOVE: As an adverb, it fignifies SUPRA, and that both with refpect to time and place, viz. FORWARD, or future, with refpect to time; fo 1 Sam. xvi. 13. "From that day forward;" i. e. from that day, and for the future, 1 Sam. xxx. 25. Taken in this fenfe, the phrafe is, THE FUTURE ADAM, and is parallel unto Rom. v. 14. "Who is the figure of him that WAS TO COME." Taken in the other fenfe, it will be found parallel to 1 Cor. xv. 47. "THE SECOND MAN IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN.' Peters, however, feems to be mistaken in rendering Adonai Jehovah in the vocative cafe, while it ought, PER APPOSITIONEM, to be taken in connection with the foregoingHa-Adam, announcing the Seed of David, the true Melliah, to be Adam, even the heavenly

Eee 2

Council of Peace: This conftitution, however, affords good reafon for them all. When I fix my foul upon it, I am utterly fwallowed up! The idea is far too auguft to be uttered! My moft exalted conceptions fink infinitely below their glorious object! The fplendour of it impofeth on me an emphatic filence! What can David fay more? For the fake of thine eter

venly Adam, in contradistinction from the first man, who is of the earth, earthy; and, at the fame time, the Lord Jehovah. This view of the text may also be evidenced from the connection, particularly the following context in both places. David exprefsly renounced every degree of merit as to the procuring of these great bleffings promifed him: Neither himself nor family had even the fmalleft claim on God. Yet he fpeaks of a SERVANT for whofe fake these promises had been made. In 1 Chron. xvii. 19. it is, "For thy SERVANT's fake, and according to thine own heart haft thou done all this greatnefs." In 2 Sam. vii. 21. "For thy wORD's fake, and according to thine own heart haft thou done all these great things." Who is this, who is at once the SERVANT OF GOD, and the Word of God? Who but he, who, being in the form of God, took on him the form of a fervant? Who is this fervant but the Word, who was made flesh? The books of Chronicles have not been fearched as they ought, either by private Christians or commentators; yet they have not been wholly neglected: And fuch commentators as have explained them with the greatest care, have given the fame fenfe of the paffages confidered, with that I have endeavoured to eftablish. Vide Lavater in Loc. Witf. Exercit. de fermon. Dei, " Quidni hæc duo (fcil. 2 Sam. vii. 21. and 1 Chron. xvii. 19.) ita conferamus, ut qui in Chronicorum Libris SERVUS Dei appellatur, idem in iis qui Samuelis dicuntur VERBUM DEI nominetur? Servus autem Dei arix Meffias eft If. xlii. 1. chap. xlix. 5."

nal

nal word, and according to thine own heart, haft thou done all thefe great things.

2. THE promises of this covenant were made once, if not oftener, to David himself, by the infpiration of the Holy Ghost. This is evident from his ufing the prophetic ftyle. But the word of the Lord came unto me faying, &c.

IV. How was this covenant confirmed?

1. By the reiteration of the promifes of it. Every renovation of the promises were a ratification of the foregoing ones. The repetition of them to himfelf was a folemn confirmation of what had been announced to Nathan.

2. By the oath of God, as is often declared. The divine example is worthy both of his and our imitation.

3. THEY were ratified by a partial accomplishment of them to David and his feed, which was a pledge of the full accomplishment of them in due time *.

FOURTHLY,

From this fubject we may learn,-1. The abfurdity of imagining there can be nothing fpiritual in covenants really typical. The greater part of the Glafite reafoning against the duty of Covenanting in the times of the New Teftament, proceed upon this principle. Say

they,