Ì ef1ament, in divers Manners. 31 But thus this fecond Difpenfation, under Noah, was corrupted and loft : Which continued about four hundred twenty feven years, as you will find if you compare the Lives of the Patriarchs, Gen. i r. But you muff remember in the computing of it, that Terab was an hundred and thirty years old atAbraham's Birth, as appears out of cap. i i. 32,. compared with cap. 12.4.' For Abraham was but feventy five when his Father ?crab died, being two hundred and five. Now if feventy five be deduced out of two hundred and five, there remains one hundred and thirty. In the rat of the Computation and Chronology there is no difficulty. 3. And fo we come to the Lord's third Difenfation ; whenhe fets his Church and true Religion as it were upon a new Bottom in Abraham and his Seed. Wherein the Lord fpake forth fomething more of his mind, than ever formerly. There were now brighter Beams of Gof- pel-Light shining forth upon the Church of God than ever before. I (hall inftance but in four particulars. r. The Lord calls him forth out of his own Country, and from his Fathers Houle., and fo pluclçs him like a Brand out of the Fire, from the midit ofIdols and Idolaters, Gen. r I. 31. fromUr of the Chaldees to Ha- ran, Gen. 12. from Haran into Canaan, Jfai. 41. 2. who raifed up the Righ- teous man from the Eaft. 2. He promifed him a Seed, a bleffed Seed that of him fhould come that great and blared Seed fo much expeaed and longed for by all the Saints ever fnce the firft Promulgation of the Gofpel to our firft Parents in Paradife : That Seed in whom both he and all the Nations of the Earth Mould be bleJ]ed, Genef. 22, 18. Till then we do not find any particular and exprefs mention of what. Family the Mefhiah fhould come. But now this promife of this Seed is renewed and repeated (even or eight times- over in the Hillory of Abraham inGene/is : And it is. a Promife, not only of a numerous Pofterity, and a Church-Seed, viz. his Pofterity to be the only Church of God on Earth ; but which is more, a Promife of that great and blefl'edSeed. 3. He promifed him allo the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance unto his Seed after him, when they had fuffered, and been in an unfetled condition as 'hangers and pilgrims four hundred and thirty years, Gen. 15. 13. ---- 18. which was a typical Land, and did relate unto another and a better Country beyond that, as fIebr. r I. 4. The Lord gave him Circumcifion as a Seal of this Covenant, and of the Righteoufnefs of Faith, Gen. 17.1o. Thus is my Covenant, whicbyefkall keep between me andyou, and thy Seed after thee - Every man child (hall be circumcifed. Rom. 4. i i. He received the SignofCircumcifion, aSeal ofthc: Righteoufnefs.
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