The Gofpel of CCreumcáfion. 179 udab, one ofthe twelve Tribes : °. t lad the Lord went further, to one Family in 70c14ó, namely, David ° But here he limits it to Abra- ham, that of himfhould come that e. ..v and Nellie: Seed : This was the main thing indeed, as without °w hich, all other Promifes could never beb.ftowed and fulfilled ; but through Him they are Tea and Amen. Abraham faro my Day and rejoyced, he faav the Mefas was to come of his Loyns ; this was the Seed inwhom hr-. believed, and by whom he was faved. 2. There was a Church-feed promifed. The meaning is this, That the Church of God fhould be continued in his Race and Pofterity, the true Religion fhould be felled there. There were other godly Perfons before and after : We, read of Melchizedek and Yob and his F, tends, and it is very like there might be others : And when God had fetled Salvation toAbraham, it was the Duty of all others to join themfelves to that Church. The Lord entailed by Covenant all his Ordinances to Abraham and his Pofterity. He gave them his Statutes and Yudg- ments, he chofc them to be a peculiar People, a People to the Lord ; and that ú a jChurch, a society intruded and invefted with the Ordi- nances : And thus he deals with them, be fhewcdhis Statutes to Ifrael: This is no fmall Priviledge and Mercy to enjoy the Ordinances : This is called the Kingdom of God. This Chrift threatned the Jews, fhould be taken from them and given to other People, Matth. 21. 4.3. that is, God would fer!,e his Church among theGentiles, and give them his Ordinances. And that'this is .a Priviledge, we fee by that Expreflion of the Apoftle to the Ephefians, wherein he mentions it as a part of the dreadful Mifery of the Ephefians, that they were Aliens to the Common- wealth of Ifrael. 3. There was a third thing intended, and that is a believing Seed; fach as fhould be truly Godly : And of this the Apoftte fpeaks in Gal.3.7. Knowye therefore that they which are of Faith, are the Seed of Abraham : So that all true Believers are his Seed in that Senfe. He is called the Father of the Faithful, all Believers arehis Pofterity. There were Mul- titudes that were truly Godly of Abraham's Seed, and all that are Godly are his Seed ; they walk inhis Steps, they are the Seed of the Covenant, they are fpiritually related to him. He was the Pattern and typical Head of that Covenant, which we all believe ; the Pattern of Faith to us : He is called our Father. It is faid of him, that be be- lieved against Senfe and Reafon, this was not writen for his fake alonep but for usalfo that we might follow his Steps. 4.. There was included in this Covenant an ingrafted Seed. It is the Apoftle's Expreffion in Rom. r r. 17. I mean, a Seed not only ofthh Yews. but of the =Gentiles. God did not only engage to Abraham that A a 2 there
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