statutes and his judgements unto Israel: He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgements they have not knowne them. Therefore they have not knowne the Judgements, because God did not make them manifest unto them: as we say, a place is full of darknesse; because the Sunne doth not enlighten it with his beames: Not that God is the efficient cause of their darknesse, but that he doth not hinder or remove the cause of their ignorance, or he doth not shine upon them by the revelation of his Word. That the earth is lightsome, this it oweth to the Sunne: but that it is darksome, to it selfe: God is the Authour of all good, the cause of our faith, but ignorance and infidelity are of our selves. And these words, He hath not dealt so, doe import a meere negation, and not a similitude:Psal. 76.1.
Rom. 3.2. they deny the thing it selfe, and not the manner of the thing alone, as might be proved by many instances: but this may plentifully suffice, that in the whole Scripture, we shall never find this phrase to note a negation of the manner of the thing, but a negation of the thing it selfe. So that this is the meaning of the Prophet, He hath not dealt so with any Nation, that is, he hath not revealed his Statutes and Judgements unto them.
This Covenant God made not only with the Fathers, whom he brought out of the Land of Egypt, but with their posterity. Deut. 29.10,
11,12.Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God: your Captaines of your tribes, your Elders and your Officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy campe, from the hewer of thy wood, unto the drawer of thy water: That thou shouldest enter into Covenant which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: ver. 14,15.Neither with you only doe I make this Covenant, and this Oath: but with him that standeth here with us this day, before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day. And that it might be the better established, he gave speciall charge and commandement, that the words which he had spoken by Moses and the Prophets, should be publikely read, often inculcated, and expounded unto them: and that all his visitations of this people, whether in mercy whilst they obeyed his voice, or in judgement for their disobedience, should be registred to remain upon record as so many ruled cases and presidents, Deut. 4.10.
and 6.6,7,8.
Psal. 78.6,7,8.and published and rehearsed unto their children, that they might learne to set their hope in God, and not forget his Commandements. But this Covenant was so made with the Jewes, that if any stran-ger
