and it was dark, behold a fmoking furnace and a burning lamp that paffed between those pieces. This was doubtless emblematical of God's paffing between them, and confirming the covenant. It is therefore written, In that fame day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. In this manner did the Ifraelites covenant with God in Jeremiah's time. They paffed between the pieces of the divided calf, confeffing it would be juft in God to cut them in pieces if they fhould not keep covenant with him.(1) Hence covenanting with God was termed an oath and a curfe; and making a covenant in the Hebrew phrafeology is termed cutting the covenant; because the flain beaft or facrifice, at the time of covenanting, was divided, and those who entered into covenant paffed between the pieces. (2) In fome other paffages covenanting is termed, Swearing unto the Lord, fwearing with all the heart, an oath, and fwearing in righteoufnefs. 2 Chron. xv. 14, 15. Ifaiah xix. 18. Jeremiah iv. 2. Nothing therefore can be more folemn and interefting than the manner of covenanting with God.

Further, covenanting with God is folemn and interesting, as the fafety and comfort of Christians in the present state, and eternal life in the future, are dependent on the manner in which they covenant. If they covenant in a right manner, choofing God with fupreme affection, believing on the name of his Son, and depend on his merits for acceptance, and for grace to keep covenant with him, he will be their God. They will have an interest in his covenant love, and in his gracious promifes. He will enable them to keep his covenant. They will have communion with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift. They will have peace with God and in their own consciences, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. He will never leave nor forfake them.

But if they covenant in a state of unregeneracy, while they have no love to God, no faith in Chrift, and no intereft in him, they can derive no grace nor strength from him, and without him they do nothing acceptably. They can never keep covenant with him, nor perform one covenant duty. In the very act of covenanting, they will flatter him with their mouth, and lie unto him with their tongues.(3) They will grieve his Spirit, and backflide from him. They will be but foolish virgins, bearing lamps without oil. As they will bear no good fruit, there will be great danger that God will take them away from his altar, by difcipline, or by his judgments. For now the axe

(1) Jeremiah xxxiv. 18. (2) See Poole's Synopsis, and his EngFish Annotations on Gen. xv. 9, 10, 17, 18; on Nehemiah x. 29, and on Jer. xxxiv. 18: And Buxtorf on the Hebrew root Carat. See also Ro. bertson's Key to the Hebrew Bible on the same word. This appears tiently to have been the usual way of covenanting. (3) Ps. lxxviii. 36. No. 2. Vol. III.

K

is

is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and caft into the fire. (1) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.(2) Having not on a wedding garment they may foon be bound hand and foot, and be caft into outer darkness; foon may they be cut afunder and have their portion with hypocrites, where is wailing and gnafhing of teeth.

God's own children may bring grievous afflictions on themfelves and on their families by violating his covenant, and not walking stedfaftly in his commandments. God hath faid, If his children forfake my law, and walk not in my judgments: If they break my ftatutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I vifit their tranfgreffion with the rod and their iniquity with ftripes. (3) What affecting inftances of this have we in Eli, David and Hezekiah? For this caufe God may lay his hand heavily upon them, and remove from them their deareft earthly enjoyments. He may fend darknefs and horror into their fouls. Like Heman, while they fuffer his terrors, they may be distracted. He may vifit them with distressing pains and fickness, and like the Corinthians, many among them may be weak and fickly, and many may fleep.(4)

Befides, it is in a circumfpect walk with God, that Chrif tians enjoy communion with him, have peace and affurance in life, joy and triumph in death, and a diftinguishing reward and glory in the kingdom of heaven. How important is it therefore that their hearts fhould be found in his statutes, and ftedfaft in his covenant! (To be continued.)

GENTLEMEN,

For the MASSACHUSETTS M. MAGAZINE.

SHOULD the following thoughts appear to you to be calculated to communicate any spiritual inflrudion to your young readers, they are at your difpofal.

THOUGHTS ON 2 TIMOTHY, ii. 3.

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

HE apoftle compares the Chriftian life to a warfare,

TH and the Chriftian to a foldier; and exhorts Timothy,

and with him all other Chriftians, particularly minifters, to endure hardness in the fpiritual war, like good foldiers. May it not be profitable to trace the fimilarity, between a good foldier among men, and the fpiritual foldier of Jefus Chrift?

1. A foldier is one enlifted to fight with men for a reward. The Chriftian foldier has, as a volunteer, enlisted to fight the good fight of faith, with fpiritual enemies, fin and Satan, the mighty (3) Ps. Lxxxix. 30, 31, 32.

(1) Matt. iii. 10.

(2) John xv. 2.

(4) 1 Cor. xi. 30.

mighty powers of darkness. And every faithful foldier shall have a moft gracious reward. "If any man's work abide the fire, he fhall receive a reward. Behoid, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him."

2. Soldiers may lawfully fight in a good caufe. The Chrif tian foldier fights in the best cause in the univerfe. It is a righteous caule. The caufe of God. God is engaged in the fame caufe, and loves thofe who come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. The enemies of God will one day acknowledge that the Chriftian foldier was wife, in engaging in the molt righteous and worthy caufe; while they were op pofed to the belt caufe in the univerfe. How joyful to be a good foldier in a good caufe! and like Paul to fay, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 3. Soldiers enlift under a commander. The Christian fol dier has enlifted under Jefus Chrift, the immortal and glorious Captain of falvation. Many commanders in armies have been blood-thirity tyrants. But King Jefus is the prince of peace, who came not to destroy men's lives, but to fave them. Emmanuel, God with us, the meek and lowly Lamb of God, is trong and mighty, none ever oppofed him and prevailed. He is wife in heart, and mighty in Itrength. He has chofen foldiers under his command. "And he hath on his vefture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

4. Soldiers need armour and weapons in order to fucceed in the war against potent enemies. So the Chriftian foldier muft "take unto him the whole armour of God. Having his loins girt about with truth, and having on the breaftplate of righteoufnefs; his feet flod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace; above all, taking the fhield of faith, wherewith he may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And the helmet of falvation, and the fword of the fpirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the fpirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints. The weapons of the Chriftian foldier must not be carnal, but fpiritual, mighty through God to the pulling down of ftrong holds. Without the armour of God, the fpiritual foldier cannot ftand against principalities and powers, and fpiritual wickednefs in high places."

5. Soldiers must obey the word of command given them from their leaders. And Chriflian foldiers cannot profper, without ftrictly obeying King Jefus, let the confequence be what it may. Soldiers must not parley or difpute with their commanders. Neither muft the wife and abfolute orders of Prince Emmanuel be neglected. It is the prerogative of Christ

over his foldiers, to "fay to one go, and he goeth; and to another come, and he cometh; and to his fervant do this, and he doeth it." And evil to that fervant who knoweth his Mafter's will, and doth it not.

6. Soldiers must calculate on meeting with dangers, difficulties, and hardfhips. And the Chriftian foldier will find, that it is through much tribulation he must enter into the kingdom of heaven. The righteous are fcarcely faved. He has enemies without, and enemies within. And one traitor within his tent, is more dangerous than many without. Christ's yoke would be eafy and his burden light, were his foldiers poffeffed at all times with his fpirit. The Christian foldier has need of wearing his armour, and wielding his weapons, while he labours for the meat that endures to everlasting life; and builds the walls of his Lord's fpiritual Jerufalem. He must keep under his body and bring it into fubjection to Chrift, left he be a caft-away. Many wearifome days and nights are appointed to the Chriftian foldier. He must fight, and labour, and ftrive, and wrestle, and run, to escape the danger and win the prize.

7. Soldiers must be watchful and always on their guard, left the enemy come upon them fuddenly and strip them of their armour and make them prifoners. How much more need of the fpiritual foldier's watching, and praying, left he enter into temptation. Be vigilant, O Čhristian soldier, be fober, for your adverfary the devil goeth about like a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour. You must ftand on your watch-tower, and never fuffer yourself to flumber and fleep, while in an enemy's land. Satan walks to and fro in the earth, and leads the difobedient captive at his will; and as the prince of darkness and power of the air, which deceives the nations, he will accuse you if innocent, and torment you if guilty. 8. Soldiers ought to be courageous and fkilful men. But as none have more powerful, fubtle and malicious foes to encounter, than the Chriftian; so none have more need of true wisdom and courage. In himself he is weak, ignorant, and cowardly. But in the Lord, when he is weak, then is he ftrong. Chrift is the only wife God. And in the name and ftrength of the Lord, he will go through his enemies. And with an old foldier, he may fay, "though an host encamp against me, my heart fhall not fear." It is neceffary that a foldier be well fkilled in war, in order to exercise his courage to profit; and néceffary that he have courage in order to difplay his fkill. David could fay, "Bleffed be the Lord my ftrength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight." There is none that the Chriftian foldier fhould fear, but him who is able to destroy both foul and body in hell.

9. But foldiers are fometimes weak and fickly. And how often does the Chriftian foldier find his ftrength but weakness ;

and

and his fpiritual health interrupted by the leprofy of fin. So that he is not only ready to halt, but ready to cry out, "why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" And with ancient faints, "the whole head is fick, and the whole heart faint. And he weakeneth my ftrength in the way."

10. Soldiers need a fkilful phyfician when fick and wounded. And does not the Chriftian feel the need of the great Phyfician? They that are whole need not a phyfician, but they that are fick. Bleffed be God, the Chriftian foldier is provided for in this refpect. The glorious Captain himself has borne our griefs, and carried our forrows. There is balm in Gilead and a Phyfician there. O Christian soldier, in all thy diseases apply to him, who healed all that came unto him in the days of Lis flesh, of whatsoever disease they had. When wounded by the fting of the old ferpent, look unto Jefus, who, as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, was lifted up upon the crofs, that you may look unto him and be faved. Christ can heal the broken hearted.

11. Soldiers, in order to have their health and strength preferved or reftored, ftand in need of good provifions. And the Chriftian foldier muft eat of the bread that Chrift can give him, or he must famish. Chrift's flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed. He that drinketh of the water that Chrift fhall give him fhall never thirst, The Christian desires the fincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby. Soldiers cannot live long, without eating and drinking. Neither can the fpiritual foldier live a fpiritual life, without eating and drinking of fpiritual food. O how kind is Chrift, the Captain of falvation, to call his foldiers to his table, and invite them to "eat, O friends! and drink abundantly, O beloved!"

12. Soldiers are fometimes taken captive by their enemies. And God's people were frequently carried into captivity in ancient days. And Chriftian foldiers are fometimes enfnared by their enemies, and for a time are lodged in a house of bondage, or confined in a prifon of darknefs and affliction. But Chrift is "anointed to preach deliverance to the captives, and to fet at liberty them that are bruised, and the opening the prison to them that are bound." The Lord Jefus can take from his ftrong enemies their armour wherein they truft, and make his people free, that they may be free indeed. But let them not turn again to folly, left their Rock fell them into the hands of their enemies. O Christian, refift the devil and he will flee from you.

13. Soldiers fhould live in peace and union among themfelves, if they would make fuccefsful war against their enemies. When divifion and diforder take place among foldiers, their enemies rejoice. But what will the enemies of Chrift fay, when his profeffed foldiers are in arms against each other? But fo it has been. But wo to him by whom the offence com

eth.