who was the son of Adam, began men to call on the name of the Lord. And from that day God always had visible praying people on earth. The best and foremost among the people of Jehovah, were called the sons of God; and we read of these sons of God meeting togeth er; we also read of their apostacy in Noah's day, when the sons of God went in unto the daughters of men, i. e. formed connections with those who were not true wor

shippers of the Lord. Thus were they all corrupted, except righteous Noah and his family.

So

The succession of patriarchs appears, undividedly, to be vested with princely authority in the household of God; so that they not only acted as a father and priest among the people of their charge but also as a king to give and enforce laws in their righteous government. Through the loins of those patriarchs was the promised Messiah to descend, that is according to the flesh. that while they represented Christ, or in other words foretold his coming by their offices, the people of their charge represented the whole world under Christ the head of every man. Therefore that people were frequently called the world, an appellation borrowed from what they were, in their estate only the shadow of. In a word, the patriarchs together with the people of their charge, in figure, foretold the coming of him who is the desire of all nations, and his final success in bringing every knee to bow to the sceptre of his righteous govern

ment.

Hence, we find in the history of man, from creation down to Moses, but very little said of any other people, exeept in cases where it seems essential in order to illustrate the character of that elect people of God; who were chosen as a sign among the nations of the earth for the benefit of mankind. They were not chosen on the ground of partial love any more than Christ was given to the world on such ground, for as, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son," even so, he so loves the world that he has always kept an elect people in the world for the instruction of the universal objects of his love. Therefore Jesus said to his chosen

followers "ye are the light of the world; A city set on a hill cannot be hid." This hill is mount Zion. However, that chosen world of people in Noah's day, dwelling near the head waters of the river Euphrates in the country since called Palestine revolted from their patriarch Noah's instruction, and were consequently destroyed by a flood of waters which inundated all that country, as the name Palestine signifies a place watered so as to be covered and to bring destruction. Noah their patriarch found favor with God, and was spared with his family.

But

In those days before the deluge, and after that time there were giants in the earth. But no account is given of their pedigree, nor of where those giants dwelt during the flood, Gen. 6. 4. After the flood the patriarchal succession passed through the loins of Shem, the elder son of Noah. And it came to pass that as men began to multiply under the patriarchal government, their hearts were lifted up in pride and vain ambition; insomuch that they lusted after magnificence and desi red to make a show of grandeur in the face of all the people of the earth. Gen. 11. 4. "And they said, go to let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

It appears that in consequence of their toolish ambition, anarchy ensued: for they were divided in language on the subject of building, and were seperated and scattered. No doubt warm contentions among them produced their seperation. For we learn that God confounded their language, and they could not understand each other, and so they were scattered among people serving other Gods and speaking different dialects; even the patriarchal line fled away beyond the bounds of the previous flood, and dwelt among people serving other Gods, according to the book of Joshua, 24. 2,3. "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor; and they served o

other Gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac."

And God gave to Abraham the unconditional covenant of promise, that in his seed, which is Christ all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth shall be blessed. But Isaac Abraham's son by the free woman, he was the father of Esau and Jacob. Now in Jacob the younger, the patriarchal succession through the Joins of the oldest son ended. For it was ordained of God, that Esau the elder should serve Jacob the younger; which prefigured the Jewish church giving place to the gospel church. So that from the figure in Esau the elder son of Isaac, which son resembled a goat by he hairy covering on the skin, the elder covenant people of God received the application of goats as in Zech. 10. 3, compared with Mat 25. 32, 33. From Jacob sprang the twelve tribes of Israel, who were to inherit the land of promise, and to be considered the mountain of the Lord's house until Shiloh should come as a stone cut out of this mountain without hands, signifying the miraculous conception and birth of Christ, who according to the flesh was entirely the seed of the woman Mary; but spiritually the seed of the free woman above. However, we learn that the chosen house of Israel was suffered to remain a long time in Egyptian bondage, until God raised up Moses to be their leader, through whose instrumentality they were led out of Egypt into the wilderness of Sinai. Where through the medium of Moses their leader, God gave them an outward law and also introduced among them a ceremonial covenant of works to preserve them from idolatrous worship of other Gods.

CHAPTER 8.

ON THE UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT OF PROMISE TO ABRAHAM.

Gen. 17. 7. "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." Chap. 22, verse 18. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." Gal. 3. 16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but to thy seed which is Christ." In order to have a right understanding of this gracious covenant of promise, confirmed to Abraham by an oath, it is proper that we should notice that God did not say, we will establish our covenant between us, but he saith, "I will establish my covenant between me and thee." Abraham made no promises on his own part, nor on behalf of Christ and those to be blessed in him the promised seed. But God promises all on behalf of all nations; he promises by an oath to bless them in Christ: God names no conditions to be performed on the part of man, but confirms his own covenant of promise by an holy oath, in which, as the apostle assures us, "It was impossible for God to lie." The Lord God did not require that Abraham should engage faith, hope, repentence and love to God on the part of all the families, kindreds and nations of the earth, as conditions to be performed by man in order to secure the blessing, because the blessing in Christ, in its nature, really cousists in the bestowment of all those excellent Christian graces, as they constitute the true happiness of the saints.

And again, God did not require such security on the part of man in order that all should receive the blessing, because his own word of promise and oath, as two im

2

mutable things are sufficient security. Therefore, “Abraham believed God, and his faith was accounted unto him for righteousness. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Indeed, he must have a very hard heart, who cannot believe the promises of God, when made under the holy solemnity of the most confirming oath ever yet heard of. "For if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." So that the covenant of promise being so well attested and confir med, it cannot be disannuled by any conditional law, nor by any moral failure in man. Hence, St. Paul says, "What if some did not believe: shall their unbelief make the faith of God of no effect? God forbid." Now sure. ly no law could be given, the conditions of which law, would make it possible for man to frustrate the unconditional promises of God, any more than God could de ny himself. Therefore, St. Paul, while substantiating this same fact, says (Gal. 3. 17.) "And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." And in the 8th verse he declares the universality of this sure word of gospel promise in Christ, saying, "The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Acts 3. 25. "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Compare this text with Gen. 12. 2, 3. Also 18. 18. And 22. 16, 17, 18. C. 26. 3, 4. From all those and many other scriptures which might be adduced, it is very evident that no unfaithfulness of man can cause the faithfulness of God, to fail, who has promised. And again, as the promise in Christ is universal, nothing short of something more than a partial blessing in Christ, can fulfill it. Therefore as every soul of man is so deeply interested in the promise of God, it calls loudly on all to believe and rejoice in the impartial goodness of God.