of the promised seed to life and to glory. It would seem that though Isaac had up to this part of the transaction been a type of the Messiah, yet afterwards the typical bearing of the scene was changed. The ram caught in the thicket was employed as the type of our Lord, and Isaac became an emblem of the redeemed family; while in the acceptance of the ram, which was substituted in the room of Isaac, Abraham had a view of the substitutionary nature of Emmanuel's death, and of the divine complacency in his sacrifice. As an example of a change of emblematical signification in the same individual, we may refer to the case of the high priest on the annual day of atonement. Up to the time when he came out from the holiest of all he acted as a type of the Saviour; but when he proceeded to offer fresh victims for himself and for the people, he ceased to act as a type of Christ; and then acted as the head or leader of the people, acknowledging for himself and for them the insufficiency of the sacrifices which had previously been offered in the sanctuary, and professing faith in that better sacrifice, which in the fullness of time should be offered up by the promised Messiah.

Having exhibited this signal example of faith in the promise concerning Christ, God, as an expression of his high approbation of the spirit of Abraham, farther confirmed it by renewing the promises formerly made to him, and ratifying all of them by his solemn oath. Now, this was designed not only for his consolation, but for that of all who believe. Though the bare word of God must, in itself, be

equally sure as his oath; yet as among men "an oath for confirmation is an end of all strife;" so God condescended to adapt himself to the feelings and manner of mankind, and though he could not swear by a greater, as men do, yet he swore by himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." Thus, "God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec," Heb. vi. 13-20. The apostle here argues on the principle, that the promise to Abraham included all that eternal life, to the hope of which believers are raised. They have the hope of deliverance from the curse, for they have fled for refuge to the divinely constituted Saviour. And if freed "from the wrath to come," the troubles of life through which they are tossed about like ships in a storm, only serve to exhibit their perfect security. They have the hope of eternal life in the celestial sanctuary, and their hope rests on him who hath entered it in the character of their brother and foreSince he is there, the work of atonement must be finished, Jehovah must be well pleased, and the promises must infallibly be accomplished. How

runner.

fitted to support the mind is a hope such as this! Thus the nations of them that are saved are all made partakers of the very same blessings which were made over by the oath of God, to those from whom the Saviour descended. The exalted hope of believers of every country is, that they shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, Matt. viii. 11. The promise made to the father of believers, was also made to Isaac and to Jacob, Gen. xxvi. 4; xxviii. 14. And this very circumstance is a proof, that by him in whom the nations were to be blessed, none of themselves was intended. The promises are not only appropriated to one line of the descendants of Abraham, and to one line also of the descendants of Isaac; but centre in one illustrious and distant personage who should spring from that line, and from regard to whom, believers of every people and country should partake of the blessings promised.

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CHAPTER II.

OF THE PROMISES AND GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE OLD AND THE NEW COVENANTS.

SECTION I.

OF THE COVENANT ESTABLISHED WITH ISRAEL AT SINAI.

THE plan of preparation for the coming of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom, was for a long time carried on with distinguished individuals and particular families. Among the former, Abraham held an eminent place; and among the latter, his family and the families of his descendants in the line of Isaac and Jacob were particularly distinguished. The accomplishment of the promise made to him required that his seed should increase, and that they should occupy a particular country; that by their being kept a separate people, it might be unquestionably ascertained, that the promised Messiah had sprung from him. The land of Canaan was, accordingly, promised to his seed; but it could not be given them, till they had so far multiplied as to be able to fill it, and to retain the possession of it. In the mean time, to preserve them from mingling with the nations, and learning their ways, they were

sent to Egypt; because, as the laws of that country disallowed all fellowship with strangers, and as the Egyptians had a particular aversion to the profession of the Israelites, who were shepherds, it was the only place where they could remain for so long a time, safe and unmingled with the natives.

But when they were multiplied so as to be able to possess the land, the Lord formed them into a nation. Having redeemed them from the house of bondage, he established with them a covenant of peculiarity, by which a partition wall was erected between them and all the other nations of the earth. By a particular system of rites, so framed as to be in direct opposition to the manners of those nations, they were separated from them, and the separation was made more complete by their being placed in a country by themselves. They were expressly forbidden to conform to the manners of others, while strangers sojourning in the land were required to conform to the manners of Israel; for otherwise no intercourse was allowed betwen them. The law of commandments contained in those ordinances, which could be observed only in Judea and at Jerusalem, formed a wall of separation between them and the Gentiles; and the law which excluded the latter from being naturalized members of the commonwealth of Israel, even when they dwelt in Canaan, kept up the wall of partition between the two there, for even proselytes to the Jewish religion were still but "strangers and foreigners" according to the constitution of that peculiar polity. They could not hold office or landed property in the kingdom of