It is said of the Roman power, that "his heart shall be against the holy covenant," and that he shall "have indignation against the holy covenant;" . . . and "have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." "And it cast down the truth (of the holy covenant) to the ground; and it practiced and prospered," (in this work.) "And thought to CHANGE times and LAWS," (of the holy covenant.) Dan 11:28,30-35; 8:12; 7:25.

It is sometimes asked, what covenant is referred to in the above texts, called "THE HOLY Covenant." See Luke 1:72,73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his Holy Covenant. What is it! Answer, The oath which he made to our father Abraham. Verses 54,55. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. From these texts we see clearly that the covenant made with Abraham is the Holy Covenant, and identical with the Gospel. The covenant made with Abraham was the Gospel Covenant. See Gal 3:7,8,16,17. "Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached BEFORE the GOSPEL unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds as of many: but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ. - And this I say the covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect.

The covenant made with Abraham is the everlasting covenant. See 1 Chr 16:13-17; Ps 105:6-10. And the blood of Christ is the blood of the everlasting covenant. See Heb 8:20,21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect to do his will, &c. It is a settled point in Scripture, that Christ and his followers, viz. they which be of faith, are counted for the SEED of Abraham. Such are the children of Abraham, to whom the promise was made. Gal 3:7,8,9,14,16,17,19,29. The Jews claimed that Abraham was their father; but Jesus told them, if they were Abraham's children, they would do the works of Abraham." "Ye do the deeds of your father." "Ye are of your father the devil." John 8:39,41,44. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel, but in Isaac (that is, Christ) shall thy seed be called. That is, they which be of faith are the CHOSEN ones, and are counted for the seed. With all the foregoing truths fixed in our minds, let us read a few texts addressed to the seed of Abraham. Ps 105:6-10. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant FOREVER, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. - Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath with Isaac; and confirmed THE SAME unto Jacob for a LAW, and to Israel for an EVERLASTING COVENANT." 1 Chr 16:15-17. O ye SEED of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob his CHOSEN ones. He is the Lord our God his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; EVEN of the covenant which he made with Abraham and of his oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an EVERLASTING covenant. Thus we see that the covenant made with Abraham was commanded to a thousand generations, which being multiplied by 70, the number of years allotted to man, Ps 90:10, would make seventy thousand years, and is truly denominated the everlasting covenant, extending through all time. Mark it; the same covenant made with Abraham was confirmed to Jacob for a LAW. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, EVEN TEN COMMANDMENTS; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deut 4:13. Thus we have positive testimony that the law of God, the ten commandments, was the basis of the Abrahamic covenant, and though the promise was not to Abraham through the law, (of Moses.) yet it was not without, or aside from strict obedience to the law of God. And thus it is written, Gen.xxvi,4,5, and in thy SEED (Christ) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: BECAUSE Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my COMMANDMENTS, my statutes, and my LAWS. The evidence is also positive that the Abrahamic covenant is the Gospel covenant, as above shown and is based on the law of God. This testimony is further sustained by reading Heb 10:16; 2 Cor 3:3; Matt 5:17,18; Rom 2:13; James 2:8,10-12. God speaking of Christ and his followers, the true children and seed of Abraham, says, Ps 89:27-34, "Also I will make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His SEED also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children FORSAKE MY LAW, and walk not in my judgment; if they break my statutes, and keep not my COMMANDMENTS; then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from HIM, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, NOR ALTER the thing that has gone out of my lips." Also Ps 111:7-10. "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; ALL his commandments are sure. - They STAND FAST F O R E V E R A N D E V E R." O how manifest that the heart of those who teach that the law of God was abolished, relaxed, amended, ALTERED, revised and improved, is against the holy covenant, and that they have indignation against the holy covenant, and their intelligence is with them that forsake the holy covenant. HIRAM EDSON.

Last Modified 14 December 1999