1. That the counting of Abraham's faith to him for righteoufnefs, was a promise to justify him by faith, that is, to pardon his fins on account of his faith, is evident from Rom. iv. 6. In like manner, David describeth the ble jedness of the man to whom the Lord counteth righteousness without works. 7. Saying Bleffed, like Abraham, are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are · covered. 8. Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord will not count fin.

2. That the counting of Abraham's faith to him for righteoufnefs, was likewife a promise to reward him as a righteous perfon, by beftowing on him the inheritance of an heavenly country as a free gift, is plain, I think, from the history. For we are told, that immediately after God counted Abraham's faith to him for righteoufnefs, he promised to give him the land of Canaan in inheritance; by which, not the inheritance of the earthly country only was meant, but the inheritance of an heavenly country alfo; as fhall be proved in fect. 3. where that promife is explained. Befides, that under the emblem of the earthly country, an heavenly country was promised to him, Abraham himself knew: for the apoftle affureth us, that he died in the firm perfuafion of his being to receive a country of that fort, according to God's promife. Wherefore, the apostle hath authorised us to believe, Abraham knew that the counting of his faith to him for righteoufnefs, implied not only the pardon of his fins, but his being rewarded as a righteous perfon, with the inheritance of heaven.

But if Abraham knew the true import of God's counting his faith to him for righteoufnefs, he would confider it either as a declaration from God, that his fins were then pardoned, and that he was immediately to be rewarded with the poffeffion of the heavenly country or as a promife that he would be pardoned and rewarded at the general judgment.-If he confidered it as a declaration, that his fins were then pardoned, and that he was immediately to be put in poffeffion of the heavenly country, he would expect to be freed from death, the punishment of fin, and to be foon tranflated in the body into fome place fit to be the everlafting abode of righteous men, like his pious ancestor Enoch, with whofe hiftory he no doubt was acquainted. But if he confidered the counting of his faith for righteoufnefs, only

as

as a promise that his fins were to be pardoned, and the poffeffion of the heavenly country to be given him at the general judgment, he would expect to be raised from the dead, with a body fuited to the nature of the heavenly ountry into which he was to be introduced, and to live in that heavenly habitation in the body for ever. One or other of these, Abraham had reason to expect; unless he thought God's counting his faith to him for righteoufnefs, was nothing but a promife to give him the earthly country. However, as he did not find himself immediately tranflated from this earth in the body; and as but one righteous perfon had been fo tranflated without dying, he would think it more probable, that in the counting of his faith to him for righteouinefs, the pardon of his fins and the poffeffion of the heavenly county, were only promised to him as bleffings which he was to receive at the judgment. Wherefore, not doubting that he would die like other righteous men, Abraham, in confe quence of his faith being counted to him for righteousness, would expect to be raifed from the dead, to enjoy that life in the body, which he knew he was to be deprived of by death, and to pofiefs the heavenly country which was promised to him as the

reward of his faith.

That Abraham fhould have been able to reafon in the manner above described, concerning God's bleffing him exceedingly, and concerning his counting his faith to him for righteousness, need not be thought ftrange, confidering the great ftrength of his understanding, and the just ideas of the power, veracity, and other perfections of God, which he had attained. Besides, St. Paul affures us that he reasoned with a fimilar strength of understanding and faith, concerning his having a fon by Sarah, notwithstanding the birth of that fon was delayed, till Abraham was an hundred years old and Sarah ninety. Rom. iv. 19. And not being weak in faith, he did not confider his own body norv dead, being about an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb. 20. Therefore against the promise of God he did not difpute through unbelief, but was ftrong in faith, giving glory to God. 21. And was fully perfuaded that what was promifed, he was able certainly to perform.-Also Abraham reafoned in the like admirable manner, concerning the command to offer, up his only fon as a burnt offering, that long expected fon to whom all the promises

were

Effay V. were limited. For recollecting that they were all to be fulfilled in Isaac, and having the most exalted ideas of the veracity and power of God, he concluded, that although Ifaac were burnt to afhes on the altar, God would raise him from the dead. Heb. xi. 17. By faith Abraham, when tried, offered up Ifaac; he who had received the promises offered up even his only begotten: 18. Concerning whom it was faid, Surely in Ifaac a feed fhall be unto thee. 19. Acyanos Reafoning that God was able to raise him even from the dead; from which he received him even for a parable.

If Abraham could reason so justly concerning the birth of Ifaac, and concerning the command to offer him up as a burnt offering, we may believe that he reasoned with an equal ftrength of understanding and faith, concerning God's bleffing him, and counting his faith to him for righteousness; and indeed concerning all the other promifes in the covenant.

SECT. II. Of the fecond Promife in the covenant with Abraham,

This promife is recorded in the following paffages. Gen. xii. 2. I will make of thee a great nation.-xiii. 16. I will make thy feed as the duft of the earth: fo that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then fhall thy feed alfo be numbered.-Gen. xv. 5. Look now toward heaven and tell the flars, if thou be able to number them : and he faid unto him, So fhall thy feed be.-xvii. 4. Thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5. Neither fall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name fhall be Abraham, for a father of many nations I have conftituted thee. 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful: and I will make nations of thee: and kings shall come out of thee.-xviii. 18. Abraham fhall furely become a great and mighty nation.-xxii. 17. In multiplying I will multiply thy feed as the fiars of the heaven, and as the fand which is upon the fea fhore.

On this promise the first thing to be obferved is, that in the account given of it, Gen. xvii. 5, 6. there is a remarkable diverfity in the expreffion: First, Abraham was to be a father of And to fhew in what manner he was to be a many nations. father of many nations, God faid to him, Thy name fhall be Abrabam: for a father of many nations I have made thee. In the Hebrew it is, Nathattechą, Dedi te, I have given thee: LXX. TEJEixa ot, Pofuite; I have placed or conftituted thee. Next, Abraham

was

Sect. 2. 13 was to be exceeding fruitful: and nations were to be made of him, and kings were to come out of him. He was to be the father of many nations by the conftitution or appointment of God; and he was to be so exceedingly fruitful by procreating children, that nations were to be made of him, and kings were to come out of him. In this diversity of expreffion, God intimated to Abraham, that he was to have two kinds of feed; one by the conftitution or appointment of God, in respect of which he was to be a father of many nations; and another by natural defcent, in respect of which he was to be exceeding fruitful in children. This account of Abraham's feed merits attention, because the promises in the covenant being made, not to Abraham alone, but to his feed; in their firft or literal meaning they belonged to his natural feed, but in their second or highest meaning, they were promifes to his feed by faith.

The distinction of Abraham's feed into two kinds, is intimated by our Lord himself, John viii. 39. where he told the Jews who fought to kill him, that notwithstanding they were the natural offspring of Abraham, they were not his children, unless they did the works of Abraham.-The fame diftinction is taught still more plainly by the apoftle Paul, who calls Abraham's natural progeny, his feed by the law; the law of marriage: but his feed by the appointment of God, who gave believers of all nations to him for feed, That which is by the faith of Abraham. Rom. iv. 16. That the promise might be sure to all the feed; not to that only which is by the law, but to that alfo which is by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.-In like manner, the same apoftle by telling us, Rom. ix. 8. The children of the flesh, thefe are not the children of God, but the children of promise are counted for feed, hath infinuated that Abraham had two kinds of children or feed; and that the feed by the promise, a father of many nations I have conflituted thee; are the children of God to whom alone the promises in the covenant in their second and highest meanings belong.

This distinction of his feed into two forts, I doubt not Abraham himself understood. My reasons are as follow:

1. In the promise, A father of many nations I have conftituted thee; the expreffion I have conftituted thee, must have led Abraham to expect a feed of fome kind or other, different from that

Effay V. which he was to have by natural defcent. For he could not imagine God would promife it as a favour, that he would conftitute him the father of his natural offspring. He was their father by having begotten them, and not by any pofitive appointment of God whatever.

2. Seeing the feed, of which God conftituted Abraham the father, was to be fo numerous as to make many nations, he muft have known that these nations were not to be his defcendants. His defcendants to whom the promifes. in their literal meaning belonged, were to be but one nation; as Abraham knew, from the limitation of the promises, firit to Ifaac to the exclusion of Ishmael; and after that to Jacob, to the exclufion of Efau. Befides, that his defcendants by Jacob were to be but one nation, Abraham must have known from the purposes for which they were chofen to be the people of God; and from their having fo narrow a country as Canaan, promifed to them as their habitation. For he could not but know, that Canaan, inftead of containing many nations, was no more than fufficient to be the habitation of the one nation of his defcendants by Jacob.

3. Although the many nations of whom Abraham was conftituted the father, are called his feed, that appellation could not lead him to conclude certainly, that thef nations were to spring from him by natural defcent. Anciently, not only a perfon's offspring, but thofe who refembled him in his difpofitions and actions, were called his feed. Thus, in the fentence pronounced at the fall, wicked men are called the feed of the ferpent: and the devil is called by our Lord, the father of murderers and liars. Wherefore as Abraham knew that the promises in the covenant. in their firft or literal meaning, were limited to the one nation of his natural descendants by Jacob, it would readily occur to him, that the many nations of whom he was conftituted the father, and who as his children were to inherit the promises in their fecond or highest meaning, were nations of perfons who refembled him in his faith and obedience. And the rather when he confidered, that thofe who partook of the qualities of his mind, were more really his children, than those who were related to him only by fleshly descent. Befides he may have known, that his feed by faith, being alfo the children of God, were better qualified than those who were his feed by natural defcent, to receive

the