ted. They came in along with him, on the fame foundation; he as a father, and they as children. Juftification is alfo promised IN Abram, as the type of the Meffiah, and the channel through which he fhould come into the world; he being one of his ancestors. Hence the words, IN THEE, are explained, in an af ter tranfaction, by IN THY SEED *. Now, the feed chiefly intended was Chrift †.

On the PART of ABRAM, he bound himfelf,

1. To "get out of his own country ." There is little room to doubt but the country, at firft inftance intended, was Ur of the Chaldees. Some have imagined, indeed, it was Haran; but on what foundation I know not. Stephen's expofition is certainly infallible: Said he, "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mefopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran §." Ur is with much greater propriety ftyled the country of Abram than Charan; as he was born, brought up, and dwelt in it till he was more than feventy-four years of age: Whereas he only fat down before Charan for a few months. The duty commanded was neceffary at this time, as his native country was a land of idolatry

and wickedness; and God deemed it unfafe for his Church to dwell among fuch neighbours; left fhe fhould learn their ways, on the one hand; or be perfecuted by them, on the other. It was also proper, that the condition of Abram might be a reprefentation of the condition of God's children in this world. Likeas he left his native country, and became a pilgrim on the earth; fo muft they leave this world, as a portion, and journey to the better country. And his faith looked through the type to the fubftance: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he fhould after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went, not knowing whither he went. By faith he fojourned in the land of promife, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the fame promife: For he looked for à city which hath foundations, whofe builder and maker is God.". Though New Teftament believers are not always bound to leave their native country literally: Yet one reflection naturally occurs from the confideration of Abram's conduct; namely, When perfons cannot accomplish the duties incumbent on them in their present fituation, then they have a just call in providence to change it, and to embrace the first opportunity which lawfully offers for that purpose: For example,

Heb. xi. 8, 9, 10.

if fervants are in fuch bondage as deprives them of time to perform the duties of religion, whether public, private, or fecret, they have just reasons for changing masters, so soon as they lawfully may: If perfons dwellings are fo remote from public ordinances as to render their attendance infrequent, they have a proper call to change their habitations: And, in fo doing, they will either have their loffes (unto which they may be brought by keeping the line of duty) made up to them, by the fpecial interpofition of heaven; or, if they are not, they will be fanctified to them for their good. No one ever loft at God's hand.

2. HE was enjoined to " get him out from his own kindred *." A man's heart naturally glows towards his country, and still more towards his kindred. These make that precious and pleasant to him. Yet, dear as thefe relatives were to the patriarch, he must forego the comfort he expected in them, and feek more fublime enjoyments in God himself. Society with idolaters is far from equalling fellowship with the living God: Therefore, Abraham wifely relinquished the former, and purfued the latter. The ties of nature yield to ties of grace.

3. HE is commanded to "get out from his father's houfe t." From hence fome conclude,

that this command could not be given when he came from Ur; for then he brought his fa-. ther along with him, but here he is bid come out from the houfe of his father. But the phrafe, apprehend, means Nahor and his family. Nahor was Nahor was probably Terah's firstborn; and the reprefentative of his houfe: A leaving of Nahor, then, and the rest of his connections, might, with propriety enough, be ftyled a LEAVING OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE; even although Terah came along with Abram, and took the lead in their peregrinations. The cafe feems to ftand thus, The God of Glory appeared to Abram in Ur, and called him to depart from it; which call he at once believed and imparted to his father, who feems to have alfo believed it; being converted by it, and perfuaded to obey it: But, as he fell fick, and died at Haran, on the way between Ur and Canaan, Abram was retarded in his journey for about the space of fix months. And, after he had buried him, he went on his way. Dr Owen, an author to whom I am frequently, and unspeakably obliged, takes another method of accounting for this matter, to the following purpose: "What was the defign of Terah, in his attempt to go for the land of Canaan, is not abfolutely certain. The efpecial call of Abram unto that country could not be the bottom of it: For it is moft probable, yea, indeed, undeniable, that this he had not until after the death of Terah. It was, there

fore,

fore, an act of theirs, in anfwer to the provi dence of God, in a fubferviency to that future call, that he might be in more readiness to yield obedience unto it than he could have been in the land of Ur. It is noticeable, that Terah died in Haran." The Dr would carry Abram's call down after the death of Terah; that is, after the patriarch dwelt in Haran. But, fays Stephen, "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham WHEN he was in Mefopotamia, BEFORE he dwelt in Charran; and faid unto him, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I will fhew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran. And from THENCE, when his father was dead, he removed him into the land where ye now dwell*." The call to leave his father's houfe is explained, by Stephen, by LEAVING HIS KINDRED. Nor can any thing be more evident, than that the proto-martyr placed this appearance and call before Abram's fojourning in Charran; and, of confequence, before the death of Terah.-Others imagine there was a double call given to Abram; one, mentioned by Stephen, while the patriarch was yet in Ur; the other, recorded by Mofes, when he was in Haran: And that there were not fewer than five years diftance between them. This opinion has many favourers, but a very flender foun

* Acts vii. 2, 3, 4.

dation.

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