poral meaning and fulfilment, in the covenant of Ishmael, is contained in the fact, that this covenant was given as the immediate answer of of Abraham for a spiritual

prayer; of the prayer blessing. The sacred record, moreover, is careful to inform us, that Ishmael obtained the promise of a divine blessing, for this special reason, because he was Abraham's seed. In the natural fervour of parental love, Abraham had prayed, that God would grant him, in favour of his son Ishmael, the blessing just promised in behalf of Isaac, who was yet unborn. "And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!"- a prayer to which the consoling answer of Jehovah is, "As for Ishmael, I have heard thee." * Then follows the promise concerning him, which is afterwards repeated with the remarkable addition, "And also of the son of the bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed." +

The spiritual bearing of the former of these circumstances did not escape the sagacity of the ancients. It is the just observation of Origen, on this place of Genesis, that Abraham had not contented himself with praying that Ishmael might live; but adds the condition of life which he desired for him, that he might live before God;

* Gen. xvii, 18. 20.

† Gen. xxi. 13.

but to live before God, proceeds this father of Scripture criticism, is the portion only of the blessed and of his saints.1

As the covenant made with Isaac, then, while predominantly spiritual, contains the express promise of a temporal blessing, so that entered into with Ishmael, while predominantly temporal, would seem, as well from the manner of its announcement, as from the general analogy of character plainly intended by the parallel terms of the two covenants, to contain a certain real, though low and subordinate, spiritual application. Indeed, that Abraham should have offered up the petition that Ishmael might live in the light of God's countenance, and under a divine blessing and protection, (a petition certainly implied by the prayer, that he might live before Jehovah ; and inherit the promise granted in favour of Isaac,) may be received as conclusive moral evidence on this point: for a blessing of a merely temporal nature was little likely to be thus sought by the father of the faithful;" in whose eyes things temporal appear invariably to have been held in little estimation.

In the sequel, these antecedent presumptions will be further corroborated by the fact, that prophecy has foreshown a great spiritual as well as temporal dominion, which should arise

eventually from the stock and country of Ishmael. *

The promise to Abraham, which was originally one, has been now seen to unfold itself into two separate covenants, -the greater covenant of Isaac, and the lesser covenant of Ishmael. In its divided state, the parts, as might be anticipated, retain manifest tokens of its original unity. With the reservation only of Isaac's peculiar inheritance, the agreements of expression, throughout the parallel predictions which follow, amount to little short of identity. But identity in the wording of two strictly related prophecies will naturally suggest the idea, that we are to look for a correspondence in the respective fulfilments of those prophecies, answerable to the correspondence of the terms in which they were originally couched; in other words, so far as the related predictions themselves prove verbally co-ordinate, we are authorised to expect accomplishments substantially co-extensive.

The remarks thus far premised may suffice, it is hoped, to prepare the way, first, for an attentive consideration of the parallel between the distinct promises to Isaac and to Ishmael; and then, for the further comparison of this

See sections ii, iii.

parallel, with the analogy which shall be found to obtain between the historical accomplishments of their respective promises, as seen to emanate from the posterity of each patriarch.

The case here under consideration is one which can be determined only by such comparison of the promises with the events: for it is a case of prophecies for the greater part already accomplished; and, therefore, so far as the train of past accomplishments extends, it is properly open to be tried and decided by appeal to the known historical facts. When the whole affinity between Isaac and Ishmael, in their natural, their prophetic, and their providential relations, is held in mind, the historical correspondence observable in the fortunes of their descendants may fairly be regarded as equivalent to an ordinary and approved species of proof, the correspondence, namely, between the notches of two answering tallies in numerical computations.

The remainder of the present section shall be devoted to the simple exposition of this double parallel: 1. between the scriptural promises; and, 2. between their actual historical fulfil

ments.

1. The scriptural promises, or the covenants of God with Abraham concerning Isaac and

Ishmael, come first under review. This fundamental part of the argument, or basis, rather, of the entire analogy, I shall proceed accordingly to dispose in a tabular form. The reader, it is conceived, will more readily perceive the nature and amount of the coincidences, when presented in this shape; and may be likely, also, to enter with greater advantage into the consideration of those remarks, which it will be necessary presently to submit, in elucidation of the sacred text.

THE ORIGINAL COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM.

Gen. xii. 1-3.

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION; and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

THE ORIGINAL COVENANT FIRST FULLY RENEWED.

Gen. xvii. 1-7.

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly: and thou shalt be a father of many nations. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful; and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.