and his Apoftles explained the providential occurrences which befell, the Old Teftament faints-he only tells what the faith of these faints faw, and realized, in the glafs of divine providence. 2. THE reward of grace inevitably follows the obedience of faith. If Noah is enabled to offer an acceptable facrifice unto the Lord, God will manifeft the fweetnefs of its favour in his noftrils, by renewing his covenant-promife to the facrificer. Noah's deliverance conftrained him to offer a thank-offering; that offering is accepted, and rewarded by the Lord, as an evidence that the deliverance had been bleffed to Noah, as well as fuitably improved by him. Thus, the renewed manifeftations of divine favour are frequently the reward of evangelical duties; and, whatever be their reward in this world, they fhall, in the world to come, be over paid with life eternal. 3. THE Church of God is a mixed fociety, in her militant itate. However small, or pure, fhe may be ; yet there is always fome of the old leaven latent in her. As there was a Judas among the Difciples; fo there was a Ham among the fons of Noah in the ark. There will always be wolves in fheeps clothing,tares among the wheat, till the harveft of the end of the world. DISSER ON ABRAHAM's COVENANT. HE difpenfations of grace towards the T" God proceeds, in them, from that which is lefs unto that which is more perfect. This has, in a particular manner, been his way of dealing with Abraham. As the patriarch's family was an emblem of the Church; fo the plan of divine conduct to it was a model of the whole plan of divine difpenfations towards her. Inattention to the progrefs and advancement of God's promife has betrayed many, who have written concerning it, into great confufion. That we may avoid the rocks on which others have fplit, we fhall proceed according to the covenants tranfacted with him, and affign a diftinct part unto each of them. O 2 PART PART I. GEN. xi. 31, 32. Ch. xii. 1-3. VARIOUS authors, when confidering God's difpenfations to Abraham, have diftinguished between the promife and the covenant: They ftyle the tranfaction recorded in the above cited verfes THE PROMISE, and thofe recorded in fome fubfequent chapters, THE COVENANT: But both this and the following tranfactions are strictly foederal; the latter being exprefsly ftyled covenants by the facred hiftorian, as is this by Paul: "And this I fay, that the COVENANT which was confirm◄ ed of God in Chrift, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot difannul." Now, it is only to this tranfaction that the date specified can agree, as we fhall afterwards make appear. And the name is properly expreffive of its nature, as will be clear from fhewing,-I. Who are the Parties Covenanting.-II. What are the Parts belong. ing to each of thefe Parties-III. The folemn Confirmations of this Covenant.-And,IV. The Occafions of it. FIRST, I must confider the PARTIES of this Covenant; namely, the Son of God and * Gal, iii, 17. Abram! Abram! An infinite difparity! Will God in very deed deign to covenant with man, who is but duft and afhes! 1. GOD is the author, and firft propofer of this covenant. Stephen informs us, that it was the GOD OF GLORY who appeared unto the patriarch on this important occafion *. The phrafe imports, not only his being poffeffed of all glorious perfections, but alfo fome fpecial manifestation of his glory: Perhaps fome external fplendid appearance; fuch as when the GLORY OF THE LORD filled the Tabernacle, or Templet. A Three One God, reconciled in, and revealed by the Meffiah, covenanted with Abram at this time; but it was only the Son who made the vifible appearance, and fpake with the audible voice. It has not been proved, as yet, that either the Father or the Holy Ghoft ever affumed a visible shape under the shadowy difpenfation: For no man hath feen God at any time, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bofom of the Father, he hath declared hin. Jehovah the Son appeared, cloathed with all thofe divine perfections which beamed forth in former covenants, and made further difcoveries of that grace which is laid up in store for the children of God. The manner in which he manifefted himself evidenced at once the divinity of his perfon and his *Acts vii. 2. ↑ Dr Guys's Paraphrafe on Acts vii. 2. miffion miffion unto the mind of Abram, fo as to beget in him a divine faith *. Hence, fays the Apostle, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed t." 2. THE other Party in this Covenant is Abram, the son of Terah, the tenth generation from Noah. Some have maintained, that he was Terah's first-born; but, for reasons to be afterwards affigned, I judge he was his fecond, if not his third fon. It has also been difputed, If he was an idolater prior to this call and covenant? The facred hiftorian leaves this queftion undetermined indeed; but Joflua puts the matter beyond all poffibility of doubt: "And Joflmua faid unto all the people, Thus faith the Lord God Ifrael, Your fathers dwelt on the other fide of the flood, in old time; even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they ferved other Gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other fide of the flood." The Pelagians, both ancient and modern, imagine it inconfiftent with the holinefs of God, to call any into covenant with the Moft High who have no good qualifications to recommend them to his favour, and much more fo to admit an idolater. But all the fuppofed inconfiftency would * Zanch. de Tribus Elohim, p. 29. † Heb. xi. 8. Josh. xxiv. 2. fuddenly |