846 HARMONY Or ALL RELIGIONS, may infer that it is God who promises to enable us by his grace to perform the duties which he requires. This runs through every dispensation. V. This covenant isusually called the dispensation of Abra- ham, which in the literal sense, belonged chiefly to his familyor posterity by Isaac and Jacob ; but in the more spiritual sense, as it is explained by St. Paul in his epistles to the Romans and Galatians, it extended to all nations, and included all the good men among the Gentiles, who are the spiritual seed of Abraham, as St. Paul often represents them. See Rom. iv, 11-16. Gal. iii. 9, 29. though it was hardly possible they should know this so clearly, till Christ or his apostles ex- plained it. VI. In this dispensation of Abraham, it istherefore worthy of our observation, that the whole course of his life, from the time he was called fromChaldea to his death, was a continual series of acts of faith, or dependence on thepromises and mercy of God, with acts of entire submissionto his providence and obe- dience to his will. This faith and dependence of his, was so ex- emplary, and so well-pleasing to God, while he constantly acknowledged his own insufficiency, and trusted to the all-suffi- ciency of God, and to the promises of his grace, that he hereby became as it were a pattern or precedent of the way of man's acceptaute with God, orjustification by faith : Gen. xv. 6. com- pared with Rom. iv. 3. We are to be justified as Abraham was, when he believed in the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousness, that is, he was justified or accepted of God. His submission also, and his obedience to thewill ofGod in difficult trials was o honourable in that early age of theworld, that hereby he was appointed a pattern to all future ages of obe- dience, as well as of faith. And the apostle Paul makes much use of the history of his life, in recommending his faith and obedience to their imitation ; and those who practise it are called the seed of Abraham, and are said to be blessed with the blessing ofAbraham; Gal. iii. 9. VII. So great favour did he obtain in the sight of God, that God was pleased to bestow the special blessings of the co- venant of grace on his posterity, Isaac and Jacob in the follow- ing generations, and to give them the land of Canaan also in possession. In the houshold of Abraham and his posterity, God set up a visible church for himself, which also was con- tinued in their families after them. This church in the days of Moses was formed into a national church, as we ,shall shew immediately ; and thus continued till the coming of the Messiah or Christ, who was born of this race of Abraham, a great many ages afterwards, according to the ancient promise.
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