narrative of Mofes. But we are not allowed fo much as to doubt of it, by that infallible expofitor of the law, Paul the apostle of Jefus Chrift; who, difcourfing on this very fubject to the revolted Galatian churches, exprefsly fays, "Which things are an allegory, for thefe (women) are the two covenants*." According to this apoftle, Hagar, with her fon, was fecretly defigned to reprefent the covenant that prescribes our own obedience as the meritorious condition of justification and life: a reprefentation of which covenant was exhibited in mount Sinai in Arabia, and it alfo anfwers to Jerufalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, that is the prefent apoftate church of the Jews, who expect to be juftified by the works of the law, and all who imitate her example. Upon the other hand, Sarah the free woman, with Ifaac her fon, is an emblem of the covenant that directs to look for falvation only by the righteoufnefs of a middle perfon, without the works of the law; which covenant was published from mount Zion, and answers to Jerufalem above, or the true church, whether of Jews or Gentiles: that is free from the legal yoke, and is the mother of us all, if we believe. Let us purfue this beautiful allegory a little in the track which the apostle has marked out. And, first, it may be said, that as Sarah the free woman was before Hagar; fo the promise was before the law, and the covenant of grace antecedent unto the covenant of works. Not to fpeak of the federal tranfaction betwixt the Father and the Son, which the fcripture frequently mentions as commencing from all everlasting, the promife, or revelation of this eternal covenant, was exhibited to the church long before the Sinai dispensation. Again, as Sarah was the miftrefs, and Hagar the maid; fo the gospel is the mistress to which the law was fubfervient. If Hagar had kept her station, without departing from that fubordination which the owed to Sarah, fhe might then have been of fingular ufe in the patriarch's family, inftead of raifing thefe broils * Gal. iv. 24. and animofities which were afterwards occafioned by her. For a fervant bearing rule, is one of Solomon's unfeemly things: and among other things which the earth cannot bear, and for which it is difquieted, he mentions an odious woman when fhe is married, and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress. So if the le gal covenant be kept in its own room and place, she may greatly ferve the covenant of grace,; fhe may be remarkably ufeful to convince of fin, and to endear. a Saviour: for "the law" as the apoftle affirms,“ is good if a man ufe it lawfully*." But if this bondmaid, the law, affume the fole dominion, and rival her mistress, to whom the fhould humble herself, that is, if she takes upon her to justify and fave, the then works wrath, and is fatally pernicious. And this the event proved. Hagar is taken (unfeemly as it was) into the bed of Sarah. This feems to have prefigured, that the law should be taken into the room of the gospel for as Abraham, after he was married to the free-woman, turned afide to the bond-maid; fo his pofterity, after they received the promife, from whence alone they fhould have looked for juftification, and everlasting life, turned afide to the law, which was added for other ends, and expected from the law that which the promife only can confer. Whoever they be, whether of the Jewish or christian denomination, that depend upon their own righteousness, either as the fole or partial caufe of their falvation, they are guilty of the fame fault in the mystery that Abraham was in the letter, when he permitted Hagar to afcend the bed of her miftrefs. Though Sarah was long barren, Hagar is not. The birth of Ifhmael is not near fo difficult as the birth of Ifaac. It is a far easier matter for the law to gender children unto bondage, than for the promise to bring forth children unto liberty. Jerufalem above, or the true gospel church, labours indeed to bring forth fpiritual children: but, ah! how few are the children of this free woman, to the vast shoals of leTim. i. S. gal profeffors who defire to be under the law! the most eminent preachers of the gospel, have had ground for complaining, "Lord, who hath believed our report*?" And that they laboured in vain, and fpent their ftrength in vain, and for nought. But as the womb of Sarah was at laft opened, after it had been long fhut; fo of the gospel-church, her antitype, the prophet cries," Sing, Obarren, thou that didft not bear; break forth into finging, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travel with child; for more are the children of the defolate, than the children of the married wife, faith the Lord.+" The infolent behaviour of Ishmael, the fon of the bond-maid, when he mocked the child of promife, who was nobler than himself, is an emblem of the perfecuting fpirit of self-jufticiaries against the true believers in all ages; for as he who was born after the flesh perfecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even fo it is now. Witness the enmity of the Jews against the spreading of the gofpel! Witnefs the Papifts bloody rage! Witness ye flames, that reduced to afhes the bodies of fo many noble martyrs! Yea, and all that will live godly in Chrift Jefus, muft be con tent, in one shape or another, to fuffer perfecution. Lastly, the sentence of exclufion from Abraham's family, pronounced by the fcripture against the bond-woman and her fon, was a fure prefage of the irrevocable doom of all the children of the law, though, like the circumcifed, but mocking Ifhmael, they are born in the church, and wear the profeffors badge. "Abraham," fays the fcripture, "rofe early in the morning, took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hager and the child, and fent her away; and fhe departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beershebat.' Even fo the carnal Jews, though Abraham's natural feed, are now caft out from the church, and wander through the world. And all who remain under the law, and are not, as Ifaac was, the children of the promife, fhall be in like manner caft out from the prefence of God, and excluded from the heavenly inheritance. BOOK THIRD. TYPICAL PLACES. The law of the Cities of Refuge*. TO infpire the minds of the Ifraelites with the greater horror at the dreadful fin of murder, it pleafed God, their Judge and Law-giver, not only to appoint that the murderer fhould be put to death, but to permit the avenger of blood, or the near kinfman, to kill, with impunity from men, the unfortunate manflayer, who without malice or defign was the inftrument of taking away the life of his neighbour. But to counterbalance this permiffion, and to protect an unhappy man from the effects of rafh refentment, it pleafed the fame good God to appoint cities of refuge in his commonwealth, to which the manflayer might fly as his fanctuary from the avenger. Thefe cities were fix in number; three in the land of Canaan, and three on the other fide of Jordan. They belonged to the tribe of Levi. The roads to them were prepared by authority. And that nothing might retard the flight of the hapless manflayer, to whom every moment was precious, they fay, that the breadth of the road was thirty two cubits; that where there happened to be water, it was laid over with a bridge; and that, at the crofs ways, the infcription of Refuge, Refuge, directed where to bend his courfe. In the city of refuge he was fupplied with all neceffary accommodations, and his life once more was protected by the laws of the realm. He was not however, to venture without the precincts of the hofpitable town; for if the avenger of blood fhould find and kill him, he would not be punished as a murderer for doing it. The death of the high priest was the first thing that releafed him from his confinement, and left him at liberty to go where * See Numb. xxxv. Josh. xx. |