other Gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac."

And God gave to Abraham the unconditional covenant of promise, that in his seed, which is Christ all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth shall be blessed. But Isaac Abraham's son by the free woman, be was the father of Esau and Jacob. Now in Jacob the younger, the patriarchal succession through the loins of the oldest son ended. For it was ordained of God, that Esau the elder should serve Jacob the younger; which prefigured the Jewish church giving place to the gospel church. So that from the figure in Esau the elder son of Isaac, which son resembled a goat by he hairy covering on the skin, the elder covenant people of God received the application of goats as in Zech. 10. 3, compared with Mat. 25. 32, 33. From Jacob sprang the twelve tribes of Israel, who were to inherit the land of promise, and to be considered the mountain of the Lord's house until Shiloh should come as a stone cut out of this mountain without hands, signifying the miraculous conception and birth of Christ, who according to the flesh was entirely the seed of the woman Mary; but spiritually the seed of the free woman above. However, we learn that the chosen house of Israel was suffered to remain a long time in Egyptian bondage, until God raised up Moses to be their leader, through whose instrumentality they were led out of Egypt into the wilderness of Sinai. Where through the medium of Moses their leader, God gave them an outward law and also introduced among them a ceremonial covenant of works to preserve them from idolatrous worship of other Gods.

CHAPTER 8.

ON THE UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT OF PROMISE TO ABRAHAM.

Gen. 17. 7. "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." Chap. 22, verse 18. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth. be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." Gal. 3. 16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but to thy seed which is Christ." In order to have a right understanding of this gracious covenant of promise, confirmed to Abraham by an oath, it is proper that we should notice that God did not say, we will estabfish our covenant between us, but he saith, "I will establish my covenant between me and thee." Abraham made no promises on his own part, nor on behalf of Christ and those to be blessed in him the promised seed. But God promises all on behalf of all nations; he promises by an oath to bless them in Christ: God names no conditions to be performed on the part of man, but confirms his own covenant of promise by an holy oath, in which, as the apostle assures us, "It was impossible for God to lie." The Lord God did not require that Abraham should engage faith, hope, repentence and love to God on the part of all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth, as conditions to be performed by man in order to secure the blessing, because the blessing in Christ, in its nature, really consists in the bestowment of all those excellent Christian graces, as they constitute the true happiness of the saints.

And again, God did not require such security on the part of man in order that all should receive the blessing, because his own word of promise and oath, as two im

mutable things are sufficient security. Therefore, "Abraham believed God, and his faith was accounted unto him for righteousness. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham,--Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Indeed, he must have a very hard heart, who cannot believe the promises of God, when made under the holy solemnity of the most confirming oath ever yet heard of. "For if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." So that the covenant of promise being so well attested and confirmed, it cannot be disannuled by any conditional law, nor by any moral failure in man. Hence, St. Paul says, "What if some did not believe: shall their unbelief make the faith of God of no effect? God forbid." Now surely no law could be given, the conditions of which law, would make it possible for man to frustrate the unconditional promises of God, any more than God could de ny himself. Therefore, St. Paul, while substantiating this same fact, says (Gal. 3. 17.) "And this I say, that the covenant that 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." And in the 8th verse he declares the universality of this sure word of gospel promise in Christ, saying, "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." Acts 3. 25. "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Compare this text with Gen. 12. 2, 3. Also 18. 18. And 22. 16, 17, 18. C. 26. 3, 4. From all those and many other scriptures which might be adduced, it is very evident that no unfaithfulness of man can cause the faithfulness of God, to fail, who has promised. And again, as the promise in Christ is universal, nothing short of something more than a partiai blessing in Christ, can fulfill it. Therefore as every soul of man is so deeply interested in the promise of God, it calls loudly on all to believe and rejoice in the impartial goodness of God.

Although the covenant of promise revealed to Abraham, is unconditional, yet it embraces in it all the means of grace through which it is essential the promised bless sings should be conveyed to all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth; such as faith, repentence, &c. and those means are no less certain than happiness. All are to be blessed in faith, hope, repentence and charity, which implies all true obedience, for "In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing." All this is ac cording to promise. Now let it be understood, that the promise of a blessing on all, and the blessing in itself. considered, are two distinct subjects. Abraham was favoured with a revelation of the covenant of promise, that God will certainly bless all souls in Christ, but he received not the fulfilment of that extensive promise, although he received the blessing of assurance as a comforting earnest of the final inheritance of that final blessing, in which all are to partake. I believe all true Christians receive the same earnest of this holy truth. Therefore, St. Paul says to his brethren, Eph. 1. 13, 14. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom alsʊ after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." The purchased possession here named, must mean the family of mankind for whom Christ died and purchased with his blood, and the redemption of it, must imply the salvation of that possession, or in other words the perfect deliverance of the whole world from sin and misery. A revelation of this truth, is only made to those whose hearts are prepare to receive it, let men profess what they will as partisans. Abraham never had the covenant of promise revealed to him until God had first prepared his heart to receive it believingly; nor will he reveal it in this day to any unprepared soul; although it is recorded in every gospel page, the ungodly cannot comprehend it, so far as to believe the record God has given of his son Jesus. This preparation of the heart cannot be performed by man,

for, "The preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." And because Abraham's heart was right with God, therefore, he revealed the truth to him, even the same which in substance had been before declared in the garden of Eden, and in every age from that day, down to Abraham; and yet he knew it not till God prepared his heart. Yes verily, the covenant of promise, in full extent, existed before Abraham was; as certainly as Christ said, "Before Abraham was I am. But when that patriarch was made to see our Lord's day, we learn he rejoiced as Christ saith, "Your father Abraham saw my day and rejoiced." After him his son Isaac received the same covenant of promise. And after Isaac, Jacob his son was prepared and received it. For the Lord said unto Jacob, Gen. 28. 14: "Thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Now this covenant is always old with God, but new to him to whom it is revealed in the spirit; therefore, may be called new in revelation, but old in existence. Hence "Every Scribe wisely instructed, will bring forth things out of the treasure house, both new and old." Abraham might tell his son Isaac of those things, and { saac Jacob, but the powerful revelation must be of God, or no man will believe the truth as it is in Jesus.