7 . Mefsiab, The Delituirer fromEvill, wards reftrained unto Ifaac, chap. r7. Zr. Thushe is called and feparated, as from his ownfamily and kindred, fo from all other Nations, and a peculiar portion of the earth of igned unto him andhis, for their habitation. Now the efpecial End of this Divine difpenfation, of this Call and Separation ofAbraham, was to be a means ofac- complifhing the Former Profnife, or the bringing forth of him, who was to be the Deliverer of mankind from the Curf that was come upon them for their fin. For, Firft, It is faid that Abrahamhereupon fhould be a biding. X711 T`11. And thou Jhalt be aBleffing: not onlybleffed thy felf, which is expreffed in the former words, Iwill Weft thee; but the means of conveyingBlellings , the great Bleffing unto others Andhow wasthis done in andby Abraham ? Inhis ownPerfonhe convetfed but with' few ofthem, unto fome whereof through their own fins h'e was an óccafion of Pu nifhment ; asto the Itgyptians, Chap. 1a. v. 57. and to thePhiliftins , Chap. 20. y. 4, 7. Some he deftroyedwith thefword, Chap.14.15 andwas not in any thingfignally a blef- fingunto anyofthem. So his Polterity extirpated fundry Nations from the faceof the Earth, were a fcourge untoothers, and occoned theKoine of manymore. He rriuft needs thenbe made a Blefsingunto the worldon Come other Account. And this can be nothing, but that he wasfeparated to be the peculiar channel, by which the promifed blefsing Seed, fhould bebrought forth into the world. Secondly, It isfaid, that all the Families of the Earth fbouldbe bleffed in him, Chap. s z. v. 3. that is, not in his Perfon, but in hisfeed as it is expounded, Chap. 22.D. 18. that is in the Promifed Seed that fhould come of him,' Chap. 12. 3. 17111, shall be bleffed in the pafsive Conjugation of Nipbal ; referring folelyunto the Grace and Favour of God in giving theSeed, Chap. zí.v. 18. 1711nr t, in Hithpae , fo bleffed in the Seed when'exhibited, as that they (hall come for the blefsing by faith, and fò in him ob- taining it, fiefs themfelves. And this is fpoken of all Nations, all Families, the Po, iterity ofAdam in general. Theywere all curled in Adam as hath been declared ; and God here promifeth, that they (hall be bleffed in the feed ofAbraham ; and by him, the feed of the Woman. And this blefsing mutt enwrap in it all the good things where- of by theCurfe they were deprived, or it will be of no ufe or benefit unto them ; aBleffing indeed, it will not be. For a while he intended to leave mankind W=alk to their own mayes ; partly, thathe might Phew his Severity againtt fin; partly,that he might evidence theSoveratgnty and undeferved Freedomof thatGrace whereinhe had provided a Deliverer ; and partly , that they might try and experiment their own Wifdom and Strength in fearching after a way of Deliverance. But in this Promife was the Orelaid up, whichafter many Generations was brought forth and (tamped with theImage ofGod. Thirdly,The Curfe untoSatan ishere again renewed, Iwill blef them that bleff thee, and I will Carle HIM that curfeth thee. TheBlefsing is to many; but the Curfe refpefteth one principally, that is Satan, as the Scripturegenerally expteffeth the oppofite Apftate Powerunder that name. Neither isthereany juftcaufe of the variation ofthe num- ber; unlefs we lookon the words as a purfuit of the firft Promife , which was ac- companied with an efpecial Malediftion on Satan, and whoads his enmity in all ob- Ioquie , and curling againft the bleffed Seed , and thofe that are bleffed there -. in. And this change of the number in theft words is obferved by Aben Ezra Ttt' =i11 ß'7110, Ibey that biefs thee, mar); He thatcurfeth, one; as though many thould biefs, and few curie, the contrary whereof istrue. And Baal Hatturim Tí1' ;w)'7 i57pö- 1='11 iiw'? ('a11í7; they that biefs thee in the plural Number; be that curfeth thee in the fingular; and an interpretation is given of the lag word, be- coming thofe Annotations which are immeafurably Yudaical, that is fottifh and fu- pertlitious. 11;3 1170 t21í 1 i =3) 1.i2'115O'311NN `ji77p , He that entfoh thee, I tvillCurfi ; that is, by Gematry, Balaam that cometh, to curie thy Sons; The Numeral Letters of eachmaking up 42,2. ofwhich fantafficall, work amongtl fome ofthem, there is no end. But one Single Perfon, in which way Satan is dually fpoken of, they 'Caw to be intended ;' which is paffedover, as far as Ihaveobferved by Chriftian Expofitors. st, 30. After the giving of this Promife, the whole Old Teftament beareth witnefs, that a Perfon wastobe born of the PotteritÿofAbraham, in and by whom the Nationr of the Earth fhould be faved, that is delivered from fin and Curfe and made eternally happy. Abralsam died himfelf without one foot of an Inheritance in this world, nor d
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