priests. Such then being the facts, it is natural to suppose that such was the meaning of the promise.*

*As an Antipædobaptist, I see no necessity for denying that spiritual blessings were promised, in this general way, to the natural seed of Abraham; nor can it, I think, be fairly denied. The Lord engaged to do that which he actually did; namely, to take out of them, rather than other nations, a people for himself. This, I suppose, is the seed promised to Abraham, to which the Apostle refers when he says, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the SEED. (Rom. ix. 8.) By the children of the promise, he did not mean the elect in general, composed of Jews and Gentiles, but the elect from among the Jews. Hence he reckons himself an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, and the tribe of Benjamin, as a living proof that God had not cast away his people whom he foreknew. Rom. xi. 1, 2.

But I perceive not how it follows from hence, that God has promised to take a people from among the natural descendants of believers, in distinction from others. What was promised to Abraham, was neither promised nor fulfilled to every good man. Of the posterity of his kinsman Lot, nothing good is recorded. It is true, the labours of those parents who bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, are ordinarily blessed to the conversion of some of them: and the same may be said of the labours of faithful ministers, wherever Providence stations them. But, as it does not follow in the one case, that the graceless inhabitants are more iu covenant with God than those of other places, neither does it follow in the other, that the graceless offspring of believers are more in covenant with God than those of unbelievers. "New Testament saints have nothing more to do with the Abrahamic covenant, than the Old Testament believers who lived prior to Abraham."

I am aware that the words of the Apostle, in Gal. iii. 14, The blessing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ, are alleged in proof of the contrary. But the meaning of that passage, I conceive, is, not that through Jesus Christ every believer becomes an Abraham, a father of the faithful; but that he is reckoned among his children: not a stock, on which the future church should grow; but a branch, partaking of the root and fatness of the olive-tree. So, however, the context appears to explain it: They which are of faith are THE CHILDREN of faithful Abraham. Ver. 7.

But if it were granted, that the blessing of Abraham is so come on the believing Gentiles, as not only to render them blessed as his spiritual children, but to insure a people for God from among their natural posterity, rather than from those of others; yet it is not as their natural posterity that they are individually entitled to any one spir itual blessing; for this was more than was true of the natural seed of Abraham. Nor do I see how it follows from hence, that we are warranted to bap

As a sign or token of this solemn covenant with Abraham and his posterity, every man-child among them was required to be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin; and not only their own children, but those of their servants, born in their house, or bought with their money. This ordinance was the mark by which they were distinguished as a people in covenant with Jehovah, and which bound them by a special obligation to obey him. Like almost all other positive institutions, it was also prefigurative of mental purity, or putting off the body of the sins of the flesh. A neglect of it subjected the party to a being cut off from his people, as having broken God's covenant.

Ver. 15, 16. As Abram's name had been changed to Abraham, a similar honour is conferred on Sarai, who in future is to be called Sarah. The difference of these names is much the same as those of her husband, and corresponds with what had been promised them both on this occasion. The former meant, My princess, and was expressive of high honour in her own family; but the latter, A princess, and denoted more extensive honour, as it is here expressed, A mother of nations. This honour conferred on Sarai would correct an important error into which both she and her husband had fallen; imagining that all hope was at an end of a child being born of her; and therefore, that if the promise were fulfilled, it must be in Ishmael. But not only must Abram become Abraham, the father of many nations; but Sarai, Sarah, the mother

tize them in their infancy. Abraham, it is true, was commanded to circumcise his male children; and if we had been commanded to baptize our males, or females, or both, or any example of the kind had been left in the New Testament, we should be as much obliged to comply in the one case, as he was in the other. But we do not think ourselves warranted to reason from circumcision to baptism; from the circumcision of males to the baptism of males and females; and from the circumcision of the children of a nation, (the greater part of whom were unbelievers,) and of servants born in the house, or bought with money, to the baptism of the children of believers. In short we do not think ourselves warranted, in matters of positive institution, to found our practice on analogies, whether real or supposed; and still less on one so circuitous, dissonant, and uncertain as that in question. Our duty, we conceive, is, in such cases, to follow the precepts and examples of the dispensation under which we live.

of nations; and this, not by her handmaid, as she had vainly imagined; but God would give him a son also of her, and kings of people should be of her.

Ver. 17, 18. The effect of this unexpected promise on Abraham was, that he fell on his face and laughed. The term does not here indicate lightness, as we commonly use it; but joy, mingled with wonder and astonishment. Shall a child be born, saith he, unto him that is a hundred years old? And Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? In another case, (Chap. xviii. 12, 13.) laughter implied a mixture of doubting; but not in this. Abraham believed God, and was overcome with joyful surprise. But a doubt immediately occurs, which strikes a damp upon his pleasure: 'The promise of another son destroys all my expectations with respect to him who is already given! Perhaps he must die, to make room for the other; or if not, he may be another Cain, who went out from the presence of the Lord.' To what drawbacks are our best enjoyments subject in this world; and in many cases, owing to our going before the Lord in our hopes and schemes of bappiness! When his plan comes to be put in execution, it interferes with ours; and there can be no doubt, in such a case, which must give place. If Abraham had waited God's time for the fulfilment of the promise, it would not have been accompanied with such an alloy but having failed in this, after all his longing desires after it, it becomes in a manner unwelcome to him! What can he do or say, in so delicate a situation? Grace would say, Accept the divine promise with thankfulness. But nature struggles: the bowels of the father are troubled for Ishmael. In this state of mind he presumes to offer up a petition to heaven: Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! Judging of the import of this petition by the answer, it would seem to mean, either that God would condescend to withdraw his promise of another son, and let Ishmael be the person; or if that cannot be, that his life might be spared, and himself and his posterity be among the people of God, sharing the blessing, or being heir with him who should be born of Sarah. To live, and to live before God, according to the usual acceptation of the phrase, could not, I think, mean less than one or the other of these things. It was very lawful for him to desire

the temporal and spiritual welfare of his son, and of his posterity after him, in submission to the will of God: but in a case wherein natural affection appeared to clash with God's revealed designs, he must have felt himself in a painful situation; and the recollection that the whole was owing to his own and Sarah's unbelief, would add to his regret.

Ver. 19-27. As Abraham's petition seemed to contain an implied wish that it would please God to withdraw his promise of another son, the answer to it contains an implied but peremptory denial, with a tacit reflection on him for having taken Hagar to be his wife: And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son INDEED. As if he should say, She is thy wife, and ought to have been thine only wife; and verily it shall be in a son born of her that the promise shall be fulfilled. It is also intimated to him, that this should be no grief to him; but that he should call his name Isaac, that is, laughter or gladness, on account of the joy his birth should occasion. And as Abraham's petition seemed to plead that Ishmael and his posterity might at least be heir with Isaac, so as to be ranked among God's covenant people, this also by implication is denied him. I will establish my covenant WITH HIM, for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. Ishmael, while he is in Abraham's family, shall be considered as a branch of it, and as such be circumcised; but the covenant of peculiarity should not be established with him and his descendants, but with Isaac exclusively. As many, however, who were included in this covenant had no share of eternal life, so many who were excluded from it might, notwithstanding, escape eternal death. The door of mercy was always open to every one that believed. In every nation, and in every age, he that feared God and wrought righteousness was accepted of him.

But shall no part of this petition be granted? Yes. As for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation . . but my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear VOL. V.

2Q

.

unto thee. And having said thus much, the very time of his birth is now particularly named: it shall be at this set time in the next year. Here ended the communications of this kind between the Lord and his servant Abraham; and it appears that from this time he was satisfied. We hear nothing more like an objection to the divine will, nor any wish to have things otherwise than they were. On the contrary, we find him immediately engaged in an implicit obedience to the command of circumcision. His conduct, on this occasion, furnishes a bright example to all succeeding ages, of the manner in which divine ordinances should be complied with. There are three things in particular, in the obedience of Abraham, worthy of notice. (1.) It was prompt. In the self-same day that God had spoken unto him, the command was put in execution. This was making haste, and delaying not to keep his commandments. To treat the divine precepts as matters of small importance, or to put off what is manifestly our duty to another time, is to trifle with supreme authority. So did not Abraham. (2.) It was punctilious. The correspondence between the command of God, and the obedience of his servant, is minutely exact. The words of the former are, THOυ shalt keep my covenant, AND THY SEED after thee.... and HE THAT IS BORN IN THY HOUse, OR BOUGHT WITH MONEY of any stranger which is not of thy seed. With this agrees the account of the latter: In the self-same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son; and all the men of his house, born in the house and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. A rigid regard to the revealed will of God enters deeply into true religion; that spirit which dispenses it, though it may pass under the specious name of liberality, is anti-christian. (3.) It was yielded in old age, when many would have pleaded off from engaging in any thing new, or different from what they had before received; and when, as some think, it would be a further trial to his faith, as to the fulfilment of the promise. Ninety and nine years old was Abraham when he was circumcised. It is one of the temptations of old age to be tenacious of what we have believed and practised from our youth; to shut our eyes and ears against every thing that may prove it to