“ Cxsa jungebant foedera pored.””—Virg. Ain., viii. 641.
And hence was the ancient formula of ratifying covenants by the striking and therewith killing of a hog, mentioned by the Roman historian, Liy. i. 24, “ Qui prior defexit publico consilio dolo malo, tu illum Jupiter sic ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hodie feriam; tantoque magis ferito quanto magis potes pollesque;” upon the pronouncing of which words he killed the hog with a stone. And there was the same intention among them who, in making a covenant, cut a beast in pieces, laying one equal part against another, and so passing be- tween them; for they imprecated as it were upon themselves that they might be so destroyed and cut into pieces if they stood not unto the terms of the covenant. See Jer. xxxiv. 18-20, where re- spect is had to the covenant made with the king of Babylon. But in the use and signification of this word we are not much concerned.
4. The Greek word is ovvéjxm, and so it is constantly used in all good authors for a solemn covenant between nations and persons. Only the translation of the LXX. takes no notice of it; for observ- ing that 13, “berith,” in the Hebrew was of a larger signification, applied unto things of another nature than ovydjxm (denoting a pre- cise compact or convention) could be extended unto, they rendered it constantly by é:04%, whereof we must treat elsewhere. Gen. xiv.
80 FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN [EXERC. XXVIII.
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13, they render 12 voy, “covenanters,” by cwvwyéras, “confederati, or “ conjurati,” “confederates sworn together.” Wherefore of the word ovyé4xn there is no use in this matter; and the nature of the thing intended must be inquired into.
5. 132 is largely and variously used in the Old Testament, nor are learned men agreed from what original it is derived. %]3, and M3, and 773, are considered to this purpose.
Sometimes it intends no more but peace and agreement, although there were no compact or convention unto that purpose: for this is the end of all covenants, which are of three sorts, as the Macedonian ambassador declared to the Romans; for either they are between the conqueror and the conquered, or between enemies in equal power, or between those who were never engaged in enmity. The end of all these sorts of covenants is mutual peace and security. Hence they are expressed by 13, “a covenant.” So Job y. 23, WN TW 2AS"Dy;—_“ Thy covenant shall be with the stones of the field.” Say we, “Thy league shall be;” that is, ‘Thou shalt have no hurt from them. And, Hos. ii. 18, a covenant is said to be made with the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and the creeping things of the earth. Security from damage by them, and their quiet use, is called a covenant metonymically and meta- phorically, because peace and agreement are the end of covenants.
Secondly, Synecdochically, the law written on the two tables of stone was called the covenant: Exod. xxxiv. 28, “ He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” Now, this law was purely preceptive, and an effect of sovereign authority, yet is it called a covenant. But this it is not absolutely in its own nature, seeing no mere precept, nor system of precepts as such, nor any mere promise, can be a covenant properly so called; but it was a principal part of God’s covenant with the people, when accepted by them as the rule of their obedience, with respect unto the promises wherewith it was accompanied. Hence the tables of stone whereon this law was written are called “The tables of the covenant :” Deut. ix. 11, 930 nino DAN nine 2S -—“ The two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant.” These tables were first made by God himself, Exod. xxxi. 18, and given into the hands of Moses; and when they were broken, he was commanded
DB, to effigiate them, or cut stones after their image, into their likeness, for the first were seen only by himself, Deut. x. 11; Exod, xxxiv. 1. And when they were broken, whereby their use and sig- nification ceased, they were not kept as relics, though cut and written by the finger or divine power of God,—which doubtless the supersti- tion of succeeding ages would have attempted; but the true mea- sure of the sacredness of any thing external is use by divine appoint-
SECT. 5, 6.] THE FATHER AND THE SON. 81
ment. And also the ark was hence called “ the ark of the covenant,” and sometimes “the covenant” itself, because the two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant, were in it, 1 Kings viii. 9.
So among the Grecians, the tables or rolls wherein covenants were written, engraven, or enrolled, were called cvvd%xa:. So Demos- thenes, Kard& ’ OApmari0d. HED. IP’: Suyyupa avo djvas res ovvdgnnas evravbor eal rot dixaornpiovr—“I require that the covenants may be opened here in the court,” or “before the judgment-seat;” that is, the rolls wherein the agreement was written. And Aristot. Rhetor. lib. i: “Orolo: yap dy rwE¢ dow of exiyeypaputvor, } QuAdTTOVTEs, robroIs al ouV- Dijnas wired cir ‘—“Covenants are of the same credit with those that
-wrote and keep them ;” that is, the writings wherein such conven- tions are contained. For covenants that were solemnly entered into between nations were engraven in brass, as the league and covenant made between the Romans and Jews in the digs of Judas Mac- cabeus, 1 Mac. viii. 22; or in marble, as that of the Magnesians and Smyrnians, illustrated by the learned Selden; and other covenants were enrolled in parchment by public notaries