numerable evils for their faith, not only from Mahometans and heathens, but from Christians alfo, they have continued to know and worship the God of their fathers, by fuch rites of the law of Mofes, as they could perform out of Judea: fo fignally hath the promise in the covenant, that God would be the God of Abraham's natural feed in their generations, been accomplished.

This promife in its fecond and higher meaning here hath been fulfilled in Abraham's fpiritual feed likewise. From the beginning, there have been in all nations, many who have known the true God, and have worshipped him by pious affections, by prayer, and by a fincere defire to know and to do his will; a worship more acceptable to God than any worship by bodily rites. Through this fpiritual worship, believers of all nations, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, are by the promise of God, that is by a free gift, entitled to the poffeffion of the heavenly country, of which Canaan was the type.-And as all who believe in Chrift, are Abraham's spiritual feed, and the true Ifrael of God, the promise, that he would be a God to Abraham's feed in their generations, hath been remarkably fulfilled in them alfo. For the knowledge and worship of the true God have been more effectually spread through the world, and preferved among mankind by the difciples of Christ, than by the difciples of Mofes.

That the preservation of the knowledge and worship of God in the world by the spiritual feed, was promised in the covenant, appears from Jerem. xxxi. 33. This fhall be the covenant which I will make with the house of Ifrael, after those days, faith the Lord: I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And from Ifa. lix. 20. And the Redeemer fhall come to Zion, and unto them who turn from tranfgreffion in Jacob, faith the Lord. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My Spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. According to the prophets, therefore, one of the particulars included in God's promife, that he would be a God to Abraham's feed in their generations, was, that the knowledge of himself which he gave first to the natural feed in the law,

and

and after that to the spiritual feed in the gospel, would never be loft in the world. With admiration and gratitude we behold the accomplishment of this promife, in the prefervation of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and in the continuance of the worship of the one true God, among Jews and Christians to this day.

This promife, however, will not be completely accomplished, till Abraham's fpiritual feed are all introduced into the heavenly country, their eternal inheritance. When that grand æra arrives, the fpiritual feed joining the general affembly of the first born, fhall know and worship God more perfectly, than ever they did in any period of the church on earth, Rev. xxii. 3. His fervants fhall ferve him, and they fhall fee his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

2. The promise, that God would be the God of Abraham's feed in their generations, implied that he would refide among the natural feed; not indeed by any image or corporeal repre sentation of him, for every thing of that kind they were forbid. den to make; but by a visible symbol of his prefence, abiding with them constantly, to which they would direct their worship. This meaning of the promise is suggested by God himself, Levit. xxvi. 11. And I will fet my tabernacle amongst you, and my foul fhall not abhor you. 12. And I will walk among you, and be your God, and ye shall be my people. Accordingly, in fulfilment of this promise, God refided among Abraham's natural feed in the wilderness, by a pillar of cloud and fire, which after the tabernacle was erected, rested on it while they continued encamped. But when they journeyed, it went before them. This visible fymbol of the divine presence among the Ifraelites, was called the glory of the Lord. And from that glory God gave refponfes to the Ifraelitish judges and kings, when they confulted him.How long this vifible symbol of the divine prefence continued among the Ifraelites, is not known. If it remained till the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, it departed then, and never returned.

This promise, in its fecond meaning, hath been accomplished to Abraham's feed by faith likewife; for in no age of the world, have good men been without the prefence and affiftance of the

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fpirit of God; as may be known from God's faying concerning the wicked antediluvians, Gen. vi. 3. My fpirit shall not always ftrive with man. In the Chriftian church, this promise received a remarkable accomplishment, by the descent of the Holy Ghoft upon the apostles and first preachers of the gofpel, and by the fpiritual gifts with which all the primitive churches were enriched. These were more honourable tokens of the divine prefence, than the glory in the tabernacle, because they were appropriated to individuals, who on that account, were called temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. vi. 19. and habitations of God through the Spirit, Eph. ii. 22. But this promife will receive its chief accomplishment in the heavenly country, where the pure in heart fball fee God, Matth. v. 8. Rev. xxi. 3. And I heard a great voice cut of heaven, faying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shalt be his people, and God himself fhall be with them, and be their God.

3. The promife, that God would be a God to Abraham's feed in their generations, implied that he would be their conftant protector, and bestow on them all the bleffings which men expect from the objects of their worship.-The preservation of Abraham's natural feed in Egypt, their deliverance from their Egyptian oppreffors, their miraculous fuftentation in the wilder ness during forty years, their introduction into and poffeffion of Canaan, their return from their captivities, but above all, their not perishing as a people in their laft long difperfion, are illuftricus proofs that this race hath always been the objects of God's care, that they are ftill beloved for their father Abraham's fake, and that they will be preferved a numerous and distinct people, till the whole purposes of their feparation from the reft of mankind, are accomplished.

This promise hath been fulfilled to the spiritual feed likewife; for, notwithstanding the fincere worshippers of God, from the very beginning, have been perfecuted by the wicked, and in these perfecutions, great numbers of them have been put to death, they have never been utterly destroyed. By the fupport which God on many occafions hath given to his fuffering servants in times of perfecution, many have been excited to imitate their virtues; and, by the ordinary care which he taketh of them at all times, the generation of the fervants of God hath been, and

will be preferved in the world to the end. Nay, we have reafon to expect, that at length the effect of that moft wife and powerful government which God exercises over the world, will be to diminish the wicked, and to multiply the virtuous till they exceed the wicked in number, as was before obferved, page 18. And with refpect to the present happiness of good men, it hath ever been acknowledged that their virtues, in all ordinary cafes, make them much more happy than the wicked can be by enjoying the pleasures of fin; and in extraordinary circumstances, if they are more afflicted than others, their felicity will be greater in the heavenly country, according to Chrift's promife, Rev. iii. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame and am fet down with my father on his throne.

Before we conclude our account of the third and fourth promifes in the covenant with Abraham, we will endeavour to fhew, First, that Ifaiah and Ezekiel have foretold the general converfion of Abraham's natural feed to the Christian faith, under the idea of their restoration to their own land; and their practising the Chriftian worship, under the idea of their worshipping God in Canaan, according to the purity of the Mofaic ritual; and their happiness in their converted state, under the idea of their employments and enjoyments in the earthly country. Secondly, That Ifaiah's new heaven and new earth, chap. lxv. 17. and Ezekiel's temple, chap. xli. 1. and the land which he allotted to the twelve tribes, chap. xlvii. 13.-23. and the city whose dimensions he hath defcribed chap. xlv. 6. are the fame with the new heaven and new earth, and the heavenly Jerufalem, which John faw in his vifion, related Rev. chapters xxi. xxii. confequently that the new heaven and the new earth, of which the prophets and the apoftle have spoken, are the heavenly country, promised in the covenant to Abraham's spiritual seed.

i. First then, that Isaiah and Ezekiel have foretold the gene ral converfion of Abraham's natural feed to the Chriftian faith and worship, under the idea of their restoration to their own land, and of their worshipping God there, according to the Mosaic ritual, and their happiness in their converted state, under the idea of their felicity in the earthly Canaan, must, I think, be acknowledged, when it is confidered that these prophecies, literally understood, contain particulars which cannot be fupVOL. III.

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pofed

Effay V. pofed to happen, if the Ifraelites, after being restored to their own land, are to live as formerly under the inftitutions of Mofes ; Such as, that they shall be abfolutely free from tranfgreffions, and be all righteous. Ezek. xxxvii. 23. Neither fall they defile themfelves,-with any of their tranfgreffions. 24. They fball alfo walk in my judgments, and observe my ftatutes and do them. So also Ifa. lx. 21. Thy people fhall be all righteous. Farther, these prophecies literally underftood foretel, that when the Ifraelites are placed in Canaan, God's fervant David shall be their prinse for ever, Ezek. xxxvii. 25. And that all the nations of the earth fhall be fubfervient to them, Ifa. lx. 12. The nation and kingdom that will not ferve thee, shall perish: Yea, those nations shall bè utterly walled. But if these prophecies foretel the converfion of the Jews, the particulars mentioned in them will all happen. The converted Jews, in the Chriftian church, will not, as formerly under the law of Mofes, be polluted with any ceremonial tranfgreffion: Neither will they be righteous, merely by performing ritual services, but by doing pious and virtuous actions. And in the Christian church, Chrift called David, because he was prefigured by David, will rule them for ever. Moreover, the nation that will not ferve them in their converted ftate, namely, by building up their walls, as it is explained, Ifa. lx. 10. that is by entering into the Christian church and strengthening it, shall ́be utterly wasted.

In this cir

2. Secondly, That Ifaiah's new heaven and new earth, and Ezekiel's country and city, are the fame with the new heaven and new earth, and the heavenly Jerufalem which John faw in his vifions, will appear from comparing their several defcriptions of these matters. Ifaiah's new heaven and new earth, which God is to create, are to be fo excellent, that the former shall not be remembered, Isa. lxv. 17. Wherefore they are to be created after the former heaven and earth are paffed away. cumstance they agree with John's new heaven and for he faw these after the first heaven and the first earth were paffed away, Rev. xxi. 1.-Next, as in Ifaiah's new Jerufalem, which God is to create a rejoicing, the voice of weeping shall be no more beard. Ifa. lxv. 19. So in John's new Jerufalem, there fball be no more death, neither forrow nor crying, 'neither shall there be any more pain, Rev. xxi. 4.-Farther, as Ifaiah faid to the Ifraelites,

new earth;