_6_6__ Bo_o_k_H __ I.__ jJ..,_rolung unto j}cfn.s. Chcip.r.sea. 3 • Jer. ;1. ;3· Joh. I6. "· If<. 45· ' 7· nanr are faid to be everlafiing ; forgivenefs. ofl!ns is everlafling, being once forgiven 1 h;" are 11ever remcmbred any more ; peace ardJOY ts everlafting, )OUr he.rt jhall re oyce ~ your joy no man tak$th from you ; falvatton IS everlafling, ljrael jhall be faved ;~ th 'Land with an everlafling falvation ; decretal Covenant-mercy was not a leafe, but amakin ~he fee-limple (as we call H) of g~ace and glory to the Samts for ever :death m3y put angend to other Covenants, as betWIXt man anctman,or betwiXt man and wife : but rbis Covenant betWIXt God and us flands fafl for ever ; though Abraha"' be deJd, yet God is Abra– ham's God filii, and by venue of this Covenant Abraham /!tall be raifed up at the laflday. . . 5· Wh1t are the pnvtledges ofthe Covenant? I anfwer, the priviledges of the Cove– nant are many; as they are great thmgs, and great bleffings ivhich our great God promi– feth, fo they are very many. and numerous; the Co.venant is full ofblellings, it is arich flore-houf~, replen.1/hed ~tth all manner of bleffings; it is nor dry; nor barren, butlike rhe fat Oltve or frUitful Vme ; tt IS a Well of falvation , a fountain of oood thing 1 treafure fullofg~o~s, or unfear~hable riches, whi.ch can never be emptied, norcom~t: an end. Hence tt ts that our fimre narrow capamies can never apprehend the infinite grace that this Covenant contains; yet as we may fee thiHgs darkly in a Map, fo !er usen– deavour as we are able to VIeW them 10 fome Map~or brief compendi"m; thar by rhe!inle we do fee, we may be ratfed up to the confideratton of things not feen, which fhall be: revealed in due rime. , The priviledges ofthe Covenant are folded and wrapped up in the promifes of it . eve– ry promife contains a priviledge , but the rime of unfolding every promifc is n~t yet come; then only /hall the promifes ofall forrs b' unfolded, when the heavens M a vefture f!cb. t . "' jhall befoldedup. In the m_ean time we have a right and inrereft in the priviledges ofeter– nuy by verrue of the prom1fe; and hencerhe very terms ofCovC11mlt'andpromifeare raken for thefame, Ephe(. 2. 12. Rom. 9· 4· T!hall for the prefent confine my felf only to thofe promifes and priviledges of the Covenant which were mJnilefied to Abraba 111 , And they were, Of things ) Te.mporal. ( Spmtual. I, Of things temporal. Thus we read Godpromifeth .Abraham, hvill mak!of tlm a Gel'.!z.,,3,7· great Nation, andlwillblefsthee, andmak$thynamegreat, andthottjhaltbeablrj]ing, and I will blefs them that blefs thee, and c~<rfe him that curfeth thee, ana 1mto 'hy feed will I give thi< Land. We may add hereto the repetitions that God makes of thefe promifes over and Gen. q. 14 , over ; lift u; now thine eyes, and look_from the place where thou art, Northward, and South15,16. ward, and Eaft-ward, and Weft-wara, for All the L and which thoufeeft to thee will I give it, and to thyfeed for ever. And I will mdk$ thyfeed M the d1<jf•ftheearth, fe that if 11 man can nmnber the duft of the CtJrth, then jhall thy feed alfo be numbred.-And the Lord brought forth Abraham abroad, and faid, look..now towards heaven, and telltheftars , if thou be ableronumber them; andhefaidunto him, fefhall thy feed be.-And the Lord Gen.JS.I; again appeared to Abraham,andfatd,- Iwillmak$ my Covenantbetween me and thee, and will m~<ltiply thee e.>:eeedingly, -and thou jhalt be a Father of many Nations, neither Gen. '7·•· jha/1 thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name Jha/1 be Abraham , for a father of 41 5 ' 6 • many 1Vations have I made thee; and Iwill mak! thee exceeding frmtful, and I wtll ma/?J SJ Natio11Jofthee,andKingsjhall comeoutofthee,- andlwillgiwmztothee, and thy feed Gcn. 22 , 1 6, 17 , after thee, the land rvherein thou art aftranger, all the land of Canaanfor an everlajhng pojfejfion.-By my felf have I fworn faith the Lord, that in blejfing I wtllblefs thee; and1f! 11111ltiplying I will multiply thy feed M theftarsofthe heaven, and a& the (and ~tponthe .S••jhore, and thyfeed foal! po((efs the gate ofhi; enemies. See here the temporal bleffiogs that Gen.t>.>, 3 , 7• God promifes Abr-.ham; they are heaped toge~her in Ge~'· 12. 2, 3· -· -A~, . 1. I will mak! ofthee agreat 1Vatron, and thts hepromrfeth once apd apm; tt. feemed a thing incredible, becaufe .Abrahamwas old, and Sarahwas barre~ and old, and If ceafed to be with Sarah afterthe manner ofwomen· yet for all rh1s God IS all-fiifjictent; .Abra• ham !hall have his ddire, he /hall be a f;ther, not only of a few children, but ofa numerous Nation, yea ofmany Nations; Illm1aelires, and Midianires , and that famous Dour; 4· 7 , s. Nation ofthe Jews (of whom it is faid, what Nation i; fo treat) mufl .all defcend frffi~ Abraham : Scripture and heathen Authors ufe three thtngs proverbtally, to fign an huge and exceeding great number, the duft ofthe eanh, the fan.ds of rh_e Sea, and t~f flars ofHeaven : and all thefe are brought in to refemble the number tnto wh1ch rh< feed Abraham ll1ould break forth. 2 , I
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