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promises offered up his only begotten son; of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Accounting that God was able to raise him from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure." Heb. xi. 17, 18, 19.

Isaac was an illustrious type of Christ, in his birth, sacrifice, and resurrection from the dead. The Mount Moriah was the place on which Isaac was to be offered, on it the temple was afterwards built, which was a memorial of the body of Christ, and the services performed on it were figurative of him, and his complete salvation. Isaac's bearing the wood, and then the wood bearing him, was very expressive of Christ's carrying part of his cross, to which he was to be nailed. Isaac's being bound hand and foot, was very expressive of Christ as crucified. His being under the sentence of death three days, whilst he and his father were going to the place which God had told him of, shadowed forth Christ's being under the power of death three days. Isaac's being delivered from death, the very moment when his father stretched forth his hand, and took his knife to slay him, was a shadow of the resurrection of the Messiah. Now Abraham saw Christ's day indeed: the angel Jehovah called to him out of heaven, and bid him desist; upon which Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh, the Lord is seen, or, the Lord will see and provide. He now in the ram caught in the thicket

by his horns, which he took and offered up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son, had a blessed view of the Lamb of God provided by the Father's love, who would offer himself in the fulness of time as the burnt-offering, sacrifice, and atonement for all his people. Jehovah the Son, the Savior of his church, called unto him. the second time out of heaven, and promised the multiplication of his seed, confirming it with an oath; and again repeats that original promise, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."-It was first expressed thus, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xiii. 3. It was next expressed thus; "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him." Gen. xviii. 18. and at this time, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xxii. 18. The apostle tells us, "Because God could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, surely blessing I will bless thee," &c. Heb. vi. And Zecharias, the father of John the baptist, in his solemn hymn of praise for the advent of Christ, takes notice of this oath; his words are, "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant: the oath which he sware unto our father Abraham." This fully proves, that the mercy, covenant, promise, and oath of God to Abraham, was nothing but an exhibition, revealing and making known to him, the eternal

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transactions, and everlasting covenant of the Trinity, which receive confirmation from the use made of the oath of the covenant pronounced to Abraham when he was about to offer up his son. The apostle shews it was for the confirmation of all believers. "Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us." Heb. vi. 17, 18.

Abram had, in the promises, sacrifice of Isaac, the interposition of Jehovah, with his oath affixed to his truth, a most glorious view of Messiah, in his incarnation, sufferings, death, and resurrection. Thus this great believer, to use the words of the apostle James, proved his faith and justification before God, through the imputation of Christ's righteousness unto him, by his works. After this, he gave another proof of his faith, for Sarah dying, aged one hundred and twenty-seven years, the only woman whose age is recorded in scripture, he purchased a burial ground, which was the first land in Canaan which Abraham had of his own: he had hope in her death. And as he lived with Isaac, his son, and Jacob, his grandson, sojourning in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in

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tabernacles with them, as beirs with him of the same promise, so he walked by faith, triumphed in faith, and died in faith: perfectly satisfied with the goodness of God towards him, and filled with the prospect of being eternally satisfied with the vision and communion of God in glory. "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb. xi. 10. And the moment he left his body, he entered into it, and was gathered to his fathers, the spirits of just men made perfect in glory. He died in the year of the world, according to Dr. Lightfoot, 2183, aged one hundred and seventyfive; and was buried in the same grave with his beloved Sarah. May we be blessed with faithful Abraham! Amen.

SERMON IV.

ON THE APPEARANCE AND MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST TO JACOB, IN THE REPRESENTATION OF A VISIONARY LADDER, AT LUZ; WHICH, FROM IT, HE NAMED BETHEL, i.e. THE HOUSE

OF GOD.

GENESIS XXviii. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And 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. And behold, I am with you, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again to this land: for I will not

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