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dation. The matter of the call recorded by Mofes, and that by Stephen, is exprefsly the fame: Nor have we any reafon to fuppofe Abram fo backward in complying with the divine admonition, as to put it off for five years after the intimation of it to him; especially, while his readinefs in faith and obedience is recommended, by the Apostle, as a pattern to the Church in every fucceeding period *.

4. HE is required to " go into a land that God would fhew him t." This land is not fpecified; but he must put a blank into the hand of his divine leader, and implicitly follow whitherfoever he conducts him. As the father of the faithful muft forget his father's houfe, and his own people; fo he was bound to caft himself entirely on the fovereign will of God, to make up all those things which he relinquished for his name's fake. The event -proved, however, that Canaan was the land intended. In this article of duty the patriarch fet a special example to all who enjoy the gofpel, to fet out under the guidance of the Leader and Commander of the people, LEA-, VING THEIR FATHER'S HOUSE, AND THEIR OWN PEOPLE That is, the Covenant of Works, the house of the first Adam; and journey to the heavenly country, which the Lord has promised.

Heb. xi. 8. + Gen. xii. 1.

THIRDLY,

THIRDLY, The next branch of this fubject is, to confider the CONFIRMATIONS of this Covenant. Says Paul, "The covenant that was BEFORE CONFIRMED of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot difannul*." Divines are not a little divided, both as to the nature and date of this covenant-confirmation; and not a few have mistaken both. It is ufually aledged, that this covenant was made four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the Law; but that it was not ratified till various after-occafions, much nearer that tranfaction. Hence they understand the confirmation intended by the Apostle, to be the oath of God,

Gal. iii. 17.The original word is poxsxvpwecévnv. Arias Montanus renders it ANTE AUTHENTICATUM; Erafinus, Calvin, and Bullenger, ANTE COMPROBATUM; F. Gomarus, PRIUS RATUM factum; Beza, PRIUS SANCITAM (Pactionem sciz.) Pareus ANTE SANCITAM; Leufden, ANTE AUCTORITATE CONFIRMATUM; Stockius, ANTE RATUM HABITUM. Such is the variety of expreffion : The fenfe is much the fame; but the original phrase requires a circumlocution to convey its meaning. It imports, fuch ratification as rendered the covenant pleadable at the bar of Law and Juftice; as well as irreverfible by any after deed. Beza obferves, the fimple verb fignifies, “Id, cui nihil defit quod ad fidem ipfi ha"bendum requiratur." As to this compound verb he adds, " Vulg. omifit prepofitionem po magno errore cun “in eo lateat vis argumenti fumpti temporis ferie, &c. "Et magnum habet pondus fancitum potius quam fanci "endum: quoniam jam tum Deus illud Pactum ratum "fecerat in Chrifto, quamvis in Chriftum venturum re"fpiceret, nednim ut legale fœdus adjecerit quo prius "abrogaretur."

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and the facrament of Circumcifion, &c. But the fact is, the confirmation of this covenant, as well as the covenant itself, is affirmed to have been four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the Law. The hinge of the Apostle's argument turns upon this very thing the FOR E-CONFIRMATIOg of this covenant being oppofed to the DISANNULLING OF IT; and not the making of it, abfolutely confidered. And this confirmation is four hundred and thirty years prior to the giving of the Law; whereas the facrament of Circumcifion, and the oath fpecified, were not fo far distant from it *: Wherefore, we muft feek for other confirmations than thofe above mentioned. And the covenant was confirmed at this time,

1. As God, for Chrift's fake, delineated and engraved the promises of it, on Abram's heart, by the Holy Ghoft: He evidenced the truth and certainty of the promise to him, fo that he was perfuaded of it, and embraced it; and, at the fame time, he was MOULDED INTO THE FORM of the promise which he had embraced. And this is one of the ways in which God CONFIRMETH, to his fervants, the words on which he hath caufed them to hope.

2. THIS Covenant was ratified by the appearances of the Son of God, and the vifits

CLOP. De Fœdere Dei, Difput. viii. Thef. 7. &c.

This covenant fe

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which he paid to Abram. cured the patriarch of an extraordinary feed, as we have feen. These appearances were nothing else than fo many pledges and preludes of that comprehenfive bleffing. The Son appeared, even that fame perfon who took hold of the feed of Abram in the fulnefs of time: And this he did, to fhew how much he delighted in that humanity which he afterwards defigned to affume; as well as to affure the perfons, to whom he appeared, of that grand event in the fulness of time.--Abram, the friend of God, had many vifits of this kind : Some enumerate not fewer than eight; and, of thefe eight, two belong unto this covenant: The one in Ur of the Chaldees, at the making of it; the other at Shechem, the fame year in which it was made. Such was the Redeemer's condefcenfion to the father of the faithful! Such his love to humanity, that he fre quently tried on that robe prior to the fulness of time! By thefe appearances the patriarch's faith could not but be greatly confirmed, not only as the latter vifit affured him, that the former was not diabolical illufion, nor yet the effects of a heated imagination; but also, as it afforded him a certain profpect of the day of Chrift, though afar off. He longed vehemently to fee it, and he faw it and was glad.

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3. THIS Covenant was confirmed by Sacrifice*. Accordingly, Abram built an altar in the plain of Moreh, and another on a mountain between Bethel and Hai. True it is, indeed, we are not informed as to the kind of facrifices which were offered: But an altar befpeaks a relation to a facrifice; and facrifice was originally appointed to be a feal of the promise.

FOURTHLY, The next thing to be confidered, is the OCCASIONS of this Tranfaction.

1. IT obtained about the middle fpace of time between the creation of the world and

* "Theologicum hoc eft, et hujus loci, quod recte "IAC. CAPPELLUS afferit, "quamvis ante illanı hiftori"ain, Gen. xv. 18. Faderis vocem non habemus, tamen "rem habemus, Fadus pleniflimum atque adeo Evange"licum." Certe fi Faderis vocem expreffam ita flagites, "ut ubi illa non exiftat, nulla intelligenda fit facta Fœ"deris conventio et fanctio, relabimur in Judaicum illud "inane n: ut fcilicet nullum fuerit ante Diluvium "Dei cum Ecclefia Fœdus promiffionum," &c." Enimvero, (quamvis non exprefia voce Fœderis) ex illa periphrafi Sacrificantium ex Fide, quam habemus, Pfal.

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qui pangunt fedius meum fuper כרתי בריתי עלי זבח .5 .1 »

"facrificium, evincimus expreflum effe fufficienter, fanc

tionis feu xuęác. Ths Dias mentionem, ubicunque "facrificiorum mentio expreflà eft. Habemus autem ite"ratam jam' ante mentionem facrificiorum Abrahami. "Bis quidem Gen. xii. nam primum verf. 7. atque iterum "verf. 8. narratur ab Abrahamo ad facrificiorum cultum "exftructum Altare." Cior. De Faædere Dei, Difp. viii. Thef. 9 and 10.

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