Imatges de pàgina
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fire; this gives us a view of the archangelexhibition, and of the conftitution of the world, according to Chrift's mediate ftate.The prefent world may be viewed as being under this baptizing cloud, as it were, between the two pillars, baptized already with the deluging waters, and waiting the approach of the pillar of fire, which, in the fcriptures, is often called the glory of the Lord; which baptifm, will finifh the ftate of the bondage and corruption of the creature; whence, by the power of fovereign grace, according to the pattern given in the redemption of those who have the firft fruits of the Spirit, the whole creation, as a brand pluckt out of the fire, fhall be delivered and reftored,

It is well know that flame exifts by a motion of the electrical fluid meeting resistance from another and oppofite motion; when, therefore, this angelic power, of the acting of which we have daily indications, fhall come against the courfe of nature with its whole ftrength, it will neceffarily produce á fhock that muft fet all on flame.

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Section 11, The Covenant with Noah.

The world being thus arrested, overcome, and brought into fubjection under the bondage of corruption, by the power of the redemption law; which being the principle of a covenant, and, in Chrift, the fource of all grace; according to the theory, we now look

cue grace of God, in the maniations.-Thefe,

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marine Think Lat was prepareta in brist, the dece, by No. L I N cem cell and fw, was the mai kena ma ermine a bhion to J. Breng topik and rood; fuch is the power me gratuus eft if the redemption

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Tus Tamilm being win the creature, aim this way expred is gracioufIn accepted of God: 12 Le meuld a breet for this free familion refected the jane will or law of God, that Chrià confented to from evering: but what was infinhely more to its advantage, was the manner in which it was offered, viz. by a ficrifice, which refpected and brought into view the obedience of Christ; it was offered under him, and in union with him; yea, HE, as confenting to the divine will, appeared in the offering, therefore God was pleafed, well pleafed; and that he might be gracious for his name's

fake, he established this his everlasting covenant with Noah and his fons, and with their feed after them; and with every living creature, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth, that was with Noah in the ark, and with all that fhould be of them, that all flesh fhould not any more be cut off by the waters of a flood, neither should there any more be a flood to deftroy the earth.Thus, in fubmiffion to God, and an acknowledgment of the forfeit of life, and flying to the blood of the everlasting covenant, the creature found refuge from the waters of the flood, in that fame redemption-law, and inftitution of judgment, which had brought them upon the earth.

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The covenant being thus established, is unchangeable, and its promifes are, yea, men; for the conditions all refting with Chrift, the truth which enfures the performance of all, is effential to the divine exiflence; that power of his, which had fubjected the world, was proved fufficient to hold it in fubjection; and the gracious operation, which had wrought fuch a free fubmiffion to the divine will in Noah, was fhewn to be all-fufficient to make willing a people to bear his name in every age of the world.-Moreover, the pow er that could do this, could also cut off and confume from the earth all those who should be found unwilling to fubmit, and fhould remain unreconciled and opposed to his name and authority; and his faithfulness to exert this his archangel-power, according to that Ꮓ Ꮓ

covenant which is its eternal fource, could not fail.

Therefore God faid, the ground fhould not again be cursed, because of the works of men: Although, indeed, the foul of man, throughout, be folicitoufly bent upon the evil thing, all living flesh should not again be fmitten.All the days of the earth, feed time and harvest, cold and heat, fummer and winter, day and night, Should not ceafe.

Section 12. The Rainbow.

And the Lord God faid unto Noah, this is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and yours, as the charter of all living flesh; and which shall be with yours for perpetual generations; I do fet my bow in the cloud, and it fhall be for a token of the covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pafs, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow fhall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is as the charter of me and yours, and of all living flesh; and the waters fhall no more become a flood, fo as to deSiroy all flesh.

This is the moft expreffive fign or token of the power and of the world to come,

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grace

in relation to the conftitution and state of the prefent world. It fhows, at once, the dividing and the uniting line of mercy and truth, of righteoufnefs and peace; for, whilft the neculiar conftitution and frame of this world

exhibited to the eye, a view, alfo, is here

by given of the power and grace of the world to come, as prevailing over all.-This will be perceived, by obferving the circumftances in which the bow appears in the cloud.

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The fingle and widely diffufed cloud, from which the rains fall gently, and without tempelt, (which circumitance of the cloud indicates the more general tranquillity of the winds) does not fhow the rainbow; for, fuch reflections of light, as give to the eye the appearance of the bow in the cloud, require that the waters diftilling from the cloud fhould defcend to the earth in a bowing or circular form, which requires the agency of oppofing winds. In mifts, or particles of water, not moving in a circular direction, there is not this appearance. The circular form of the vapours which exhibits this appearance, may often be obferved in the Spray of a water-wheel going with the wind of the wheel against the natural current of the air. But, in the folded and thickly condenfed cloud, from which the rains fall with violence and tempeft, (which state of the cloud fhews the preffure and conflict of oppofing winds) the bow is feen; which, therefore, betokens clearly the peculiar ftate of this world, as fubfifting by two powers acting against each other.

Again, it may be observed that this cloud, by an established caufe, is fo circumfcribed in width, that it mult foon pafs over; for, the preffure by which it is formed exilts evidently between two tides; I mean the tides of ebb and of flood, which are known to be the fame in the air as in water, The moll ex

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