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pass over the earth; and the waters assuaged, and the earth was dried. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him". And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and offered burntofferings on the altar'. And God blessed Noah, and his sons, and said unto them*, Behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you'. Thus by faith, Noah being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith".

SECT. 3. The calling of Abram, and the covenant of God with him.

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee; and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him. By faith, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, he obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country; and there he builded an altar unto the Lord; and called upon the name of the Lord. And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly a. As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many

■ Gen. viii. 1, 14.
* Gen. ix. 1.

§3. Gen. xii. 1—4.

d Gen, xvii. 1, 2.

h Gen. viii. 18.
1 Gen. ix. 9.

Heb. xi. 8, 9.

Gen. viii. 20.
m Heb. xi. 7.
c Gen. xii. 8.

nations have I made thee. 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 thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time, in the next year. By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And Abraham believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness". And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise'.

SECT. 4. The covenant renewed with Isaac.

And there was a famine in the land; and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed I will give all these countries. And I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

• Gen. xvii.4-9.
h Gen. xv. 6.

1 Gen. xvii. 19, 20, 21.
'Heb. vi. 15.

Gen. xxii. 16, 17, 18.

because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

SECT. 5. And with Jacob.

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And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and said unto him, God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessings of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. And Isaac sent away Jacob'. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went towards Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, and lay down in that place to sleep. 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 lyest, 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 thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

§ 4. Gen. xxvi. 143.

§ 5. Gen. xxviii. 1.

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b Gen. xxviii. 3, 4, 5. c Gen. xxviii.10-17. * "These promises to Jacob we find repeated at Peniel, Gen. xxxii. 24-30; and again at Bethel, Gen. xxxv. 9—12.”

SECT. 6. The children of Israel called to be a peculiar people unto the Lord.

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. Wherefore, say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord; and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians; and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage. And I will dwell amongst the children of Israel, and will be their God; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell amongst them. I am the Lord their God. And I will set my tabernacle amongst you; and I will walk among you, and be your God, and ye shall be my 'people.

SECT. 7. The covenant at Sinai.

And Moses went up unto God; and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, above all people; for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdoni of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt

§ 6. Exod. vi. 2, 3, 4. d Lev. xxvi. 11, 12.

b Exod. vi. 6, 7, 8.

с Exod. xxix. 45, 46.

speak unto the children of Israel". And Moses came, and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words, which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken will we do. And Moses

returned the words of the people unto the Lord'. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament, (or covenant,) which God. hath enjoined unto you. And the Lord said, I have. heard the voice of the words of this people; they have well said, all that they have spoken. O that there were such an heart in them; that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always; that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end'!

SECT. 8. The obligations on the children of Israel to keep this covenant.

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes, and unto the judgments which I teach you. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded

§ 7. Exod. xix. 3—6.

d Heb. ix. 19, 20.

§ 8. Deut. iv. 1.

Exod. xix. 7, 8.

• Deut. v. 28, 29.

b Deut. iv. 7.

• Exod. xxiv. 7, 8. f Deut. xxxii. 29.

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