f them
unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their
iniquity, and will remember their sins no more." Upon this passage
the author of the Epistle observes "in that he saith 'a new
covenant,' he hath made the first old;" and he sagely concludes "
now that which decayeth, and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away!!"
and takes the quotation to be a prophecy of the abolition of the
old law, and the introduction of the Gospel Dispensation.

Now, I would observe on his reasoning, in the first place, that,
allowing for a moment his interpretation of the prophecy to be
correct, (i. e., that it signifies the abolishment of the old, and an
introduction of a new law) the prophecy, at any rate, cannot refer to
Jesus, or the Gospel; for so far from having been fulfilled in the
time of Jesus, or his Apostles, it has not been fulfilled to this day;
for certainly God has not yet made a new covenant with the Jews,
to whom the prophecy refers, nor has he yet "put his law in their
hearts;" nor "caused them to walk in it;" neither has he yet "
forgiven their sins, or forgotten their iniquities," since they are
even now suffering, the consequences of them.

I will now retract what I granted, and assert that the prophet did not
mean an abolition of the Mosaic, and the introduction of a new,
law; for though the prophet speaks of a new covenant, he says
nothing of a new law; but on the contrary, asserts that this new
covenant would be effectual to make them obey the law. God
promised to put his law within their hearts (not out of
remembrance, as the catechisms say;) and in this alone this
covenant differs from the one entered into at Mount Sinai. For,
then, though the law was given them, it was not "put within their
hearts," but they were apt, to their own controul, to obey it, or not,
being assured, however, that happiness should be the reward of
obedience, and death and excision the punishment for revolt
and disobedience. And you will moreover observe, that,
notwithstanding what is here called a new covenant, nothing is
here said of the abrogation of any former covenant, or constitution,
or of any new terms, that would be required by God on the part of
the Israelites. The prophet, by expanding his idea, sufficiently
explains his whole meaning, which is evidently this, viz.: That God
would make a new, and solemn promise to the Israelites, that they
should be no more out of favor with him; that their hearts would be
her