dored Godhead, in an
economic character.

Secondly. God entered into covenant with man in innocence. The Divine
character was made known to the gifted immortal. The will of God
claiming obedience and the offer of definite good were presented before
his mind. He acquiesced, and God was engaged to him and to all his
posterity in covenant. One ground on which He was to bestow the
blessings of the Covenant was his own purpose; His making, before his
creature, and by and before Himself, a promise to confer it, was,
according to the principle of eternal righteousness, the other.

Thirdly. God enters into covenant with men in Christ. He says to
them,--"I am the Lord _thy_ God."[600] Believers are taken into God's
covenant.[601] He made with his people a covenant that shall
endure.[602] All the promises of God are offers made on HIS part to
enter into covenant with sinners. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made."[603] And, therefore, when these are accepted by men, the
Lord is to them a God in covenant. The Lord hath on some occasions sworn
to his people, and by his oath _made_ a covenant with them.[604] The
Lord brings sinners into the bond of his covenant,[605] and accordingly
makes with them a covenant. And he keeps, and hence he must have
_entered into_, covenant with his people.

Finally. The Lord Jesus on earth illustrated in his practice the duty of
Covenanting. In such a manner as none other than God himself could do,
he gave it recommendation. Possessed of the nature of man, and being
true God, he Covenanted with men, as the Head of the Church of God
himself, and also as a member thereof; and as the Father's servant, in
Covenanting acknowledged Him. He recognised his disciples as his friends
and servants; he spake peace to them, and explicitly Covenanting with
them, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you," to them he made precious
promises, which he gave them grace to receive.[606] Waiting on the
ordinances of religion at Jerusalem, about the close of the Old
Testament dispensation, unquestionably along with the people of Israel,
he engaged in various exercises of vowing, and especially in the use of
the Psalms, so full of holy vows to God; and after the last supper with
his disciples, two of whom, by the Spirit that dwelt in all of them,
enjoined the exercise of singing these precious compositions,[607]
singing a hymn or psalm, he at once sanctioned their use in the worship
of God, and gave countenan