Jews entertained of it, calls it, Luke xiv. 14. The resurrection of the just. In like manner, the fourth of the seven brethren mentioned above, said to his persecutor, 2 Mac. vii. 14. As for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life. So also Josephus, speaking of the opinion of the Pharisees, says, Antiq. xviii. 2. "They be"lieve that there are no xov dinaiwels, retributions under the "earth to such as have attached themselves to virtue, or vice "in this life; and that the one are condemned to perpetual "imprisonment, but that the other have an easy return to life."To this notion of the resurrection, the Jews were naturally led by the covenant with Abraham, in which the everlasting possession of Canaan, in its second and highest meaning, was promised to the spiritual seed only; that is, to believers of all nations, who in the covenant are counted to Abraham for seed.

That the Jews, from the earliest times, expected the resurrec. tion of the dead, and derived their hope of that great event from the covenant with Abraham, is attested in the most express manner by the apostle Paul, who scrupled not to say to Festus and king Aggrippa, in the hearing of the chiefs of the Jews, Acts xxvi. 6. And now, I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers. 7. Unto which promise, our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night,hope to come. But to what promise made to the fathers did the twelve tribes hope to come, which they were not in possession of at the time the apostle said this, unless it was the promise in the covenant, that God would raise Abraham's seed by faith from the dead, to possess the heavenly country, of which Canaan was the emblem. Accordingly, to shew that that was the promise which the apostle had in his eye, he immediately added, for which hope's sake, king Aggrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?-The same apostle openly affirmed in the hearing of Felix, and of the Jewish council, that the resurrection of the dead is a thing written in the law and the prophets, Acts xxiv. 14. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, So worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets. 15. And have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust. But the resurrection of the dead is no where written in the law of Moses, except in the covenant with Abraham, where God promised to count Abraham's faith for righteousness, and to give to him and

to his seed the everlasting possession of Canaan. And with respect to the prophets, the resurrection of the dead is not written by them, any otherwise than as they have foretold the accomplishment of the promises in the covenant, according to their second and highest meanings, by speaking of them as the accomplishment of these promises according to their first or literal meaning. For example, Isaiah hath foretold the multiplication of Abraham's spiritual seed by the great increase of his natural progeny: Chap. xlix. 18-26. liv. 1-3. lx. 1.-5.-And the conversion of the natural seed to the faith of the gospel, and their salvation, by their restoration to the land of Canaan. Chap. li. 9.-16. lii. 9.-12.-And their happiness in their converted state, by the building and adorning of its cities. Chap. Ixi. 4, 5, 6. And the excellency of the heavenly country, and the happiness of the spiritual seed in that country, by the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, for the habitation of the natural seed; in which new earth, there is to be neither pain nor sorrow. Chap. lxv. 17.-20.-And the worship of God in the heavenly country, by the restoration of the Mosaic worship in its purity in the new earth. Chap. Ixvi. 20—24.

Lastly, The prevalence of the hope of the resurrection of the dead, among the Israelites in the earliest times, may be understood from this well known fact, that the nations who sprang from Abraham by Hagar and Keturah, entertained the same hope, and communicated it to their neighbours; so that the resurrection of the dead, in one shape or another, was believed by the greatest part of the inhabitants of the east. Hence Job who was an Arabian, expressed his hope of the resurrection in the strongest terms, chap. xix. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. 26. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. 27. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within

me.

The particulars contained in this section merit attention, as they shew how much the Deists and others are mistaken, who think the immortality of the soul and the retributions of a future state, were not made known to the Jews by Moses and the prophets.

SECTION IV.

Of the fourth Promise in the Covenant with Abraham.

This promise is recorded, Gen. xvii. 7. 1 will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant. 8. And I will be their God. This promise, though expressed in the most simple language, comprehends deep meanings. It consists of two articles. 1. The first article is contained in ver. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant. This establishment of God's covenant with Abraham and his seed in their generations for an everlasting covenant, in its first or literal meaning implied, that Abraham's natural seed were to remain a distinct people in their successive generations, without ever being destroyed: because, if they were to be destroyed, God's covenant with them would not have been everlasting. To this interpretation we are led by Moses, who declared, that if God destroyed Abraham's natural seed, it would be a breaking of his covenant with them, Levit. xxvi. 44. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them. Agreeably to this promise, God declared by Jeremiah, that he would utterly destroy the nations who had oppressed the natural seed of Abraham, but would never make a full end of his posterity, Jerem. xlvi. 28. Fear not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord, for I am with thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee.

In this promise, according to its first and literal meaning, an event is foretold of a very singular nature; namely, that Abraham's natural seed are always to continue a distinct race, and are never to be lost by mixing with other nations. To this nothing similar hath ever happened. For where are the people, who being scattered over the face of the earth, have preserved themselves distinct from the rest of mankind, so that after continuing in a state of dispersion for thousands of years, the individuals, in their successive generations, are known to be of that people. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Grecians, and the Romans, have all in their turns conquered, and been conquered, but have not kept themselves distinct from their conquerors, although they were not carried captives

from their own country, far less were they scattered over the face of the earth, as the Israelites have been. All these nations are now so mixed with their conquerors, that the individuals of them cannot be distinguished. To the reason and experience of mankind, the continuance of Abraham's natural seed distinct from all the rest of the world, foretold in this promise, must, before it happened, have appeared an event utterly improbable. Yet this improbable event hath actually taken place, through a long succession of ages. For from the time of their going down into Egypt, to this day, the Israelites, notwithstanding the many calamities which befell them, have still been preserved a distinct and numerous people, as was formerly shewed in the explication of the second promise in the covenant, p. 16. and they will be continued a distinct and numerous people, till the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, and their existence as a separate race is no longer needed to strengthen the evidences of the gospel. At that period, they also shall be converted to the faith of Christ, and entering into the Christian church, they will with the other disciples of Christ, assist in preserving the knowledge and worship of God among mankind, to the end of the world. These things their own prophets have foretold, under the idea of their being restored to their own land, and of their worshipping God there, according to the Mosaic ritual.

But God's promise to establish his covenant with Abraham's seed in their generations for an everlasting covenant, in its second and higher meaning, imported that his spiritual as well as his natural seed, should be continued in the world, and be separated from the wicked for ever. Accordingly, notwithstanding Abraham's spiritual seed, the sincere worshippers of God have, from the beginning, been persecuted, and often worn out by the seed of the serpent, they have never been utterly destroyed. There have always been, in every nation, many good men who feared God and wrought righteousness, and who, notwithstanding they were not distinguished from the wicked by any external mark, as Abraham's natural seed always have been, are nevertheless sufficiently distinguished from them by their faith and holiness, and will continue a distinct people to all eternity. To render God's covenant with them everlasting in the strictest sense, Matt. xiii. 49. At the end of the world, the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just. And being separated, Christ will carry them with him into heaven, and form them into one great community, called, Heb. xii. 23. The general

assembly and church of the first-born; and Rev. xxi. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they who are written in the Lamb's book of life. In this holy community, the spiritual seed of Abraham will remain to all eternity, separated from the wicked, and united to one another by the indissoluble bond of the warmest love and friendship for ever.

The second article of the fourth promise is contained in these words: I will be their God. This implies,

1. That Abraham's natural seed were in general to know and acknowledge the true God as their God. Moreover, this promise being connected with their possession of Canaan, in the following manner, Gen. xvii. 8. I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God, it signified that the title of Abraham's seed to possess Canaan, depended on their continuing to worship and obey God.-How this promise, in its first or literal meaning, was accomplished, we learn from Moses, who insinuates that Abraham's posterity in Canaan and in Egypt, acknowledged and worshipped the God of their fathers, by those natural acts of piety which reason dictated, till they came to Sinai, where, by the ministry of Moses, God gave them a ritual of his worship, formed according to a pattern shewed to Moses on the mount. From that time forward, Abraham's posterity, while they remained in Canaan, continued to worship the true God, according to that ritual. On some occasions, indeed, they deviated into idolatry. But they were always soon reclaimed, by the punishments which God sent on them. Besides, at no time did the whole nation to a man follow after idols. In the times of the greatest corruption, there were many who abhorred idols. Thus it was in the reign of Ahab, when Elijah thought himself the only worshipper of the true God remaining in Israel. For there were even then seven thousand men left, who had not bowed the knee to Baal, 1 Kings xvii. 19. Thus it was likewise during the Babylonish captivity, when Shadrach and his companions were cast into a burning furnace, for refusing to worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar set up. Moreover, by the punishments sent on the Israelites for departing from the law of Moses, they were at length so thoroughly cured of their propensity to idolatry, that after their return from Babylon, even to this day, their abhorrence of idols hath been extreme. They have long ago been