narration, the explication, the confirmation, and the application.

1. The narration of the hiftory, ver. 22, 23. Here Ifhmael is faid to be born after the flesh; that is, by the ftrength of nature, and according to the flethly counfel of Sarah, when the fabftitute Hagar into her own room: but Ifaac was by promife; that is, tho' according to the order of nature, yet not by the ftrength of nature, but by virtue of the promife of God.

2. The explication of this hiftory, ver. 24,27. "Which things are an allegory, fays the apoflle, for these are the two covenants;" that is, not merely the two different difpenfations of the covenant of grace, the old legal, and the new evangelical difpenfation; but the two covenants themfelves, namely, that of works made with the firft Adam, and all his feed in him, promifing life upon condition of man's own perfect obedience to the will of God, Gen. ii. 17. and that of grace, made with the fecond Adam, and with his feed in him, promifing eternal life, and all spiritual bleffings, upon condition and confideration of his undergoing the curfe, and yielding perfect obedience to the law in their room, Ifa. liii. 10, II. Rom. v. 6. 21.--Hence the apostle exprefly calls them two covenants. Though Ifrael, even at Sinai, was under a difpenfation of the covenant of grace, however dark, as is evident from the preface to the ten commands, and many other arguments; yet, that there was alfo an addition, repetition, and promulgation of the covenant of works at Sinai, is not only plain from the concurring teftimony of many crthodox writers, but from manifold fcriptural accounts thereof. The apoftle here tells us, Gal. iii. 18, 19. that the law, or covenant of works, was added because of tranfgreffion, till the feed fhould come, to whom the promife was made; it was added to be fubfervient to the other, and for furthering the ends thereof. This is plain alfo from the context here, where the apoftle is fhewing, that the children of the Sinai covenant are excluded from the eternal inheritance, as Ifhmael was from Canaan, the type of it, ver. 30. "Caft out the bond-woman, and her fon; for the fon of the bond-woman fhall

not be heir with the fon of the free woman." But this could never be faid of the children of the covenant of grace, whether under the old or new difpenfation thereof; whereas the children of the legal covenant, or covenant of works, whereof there was a repetition at Sinai, have been always under a fentence of exclufion ever fince Adam fell, and under bondage to death and the curfe: therefore it is the two covenants, that of works and of grace, that the apoftle is here fetting in oppofition to one-another; the one is prefigured by Hagar, and the other by Sarah. The covenant of works is here compared to Ishmael, that was born after the flesh; the covenant of grace to Ifaac, who was a child of promife, produced by the Spirit of God working mightily in Abraham and Sarali, and breathing in the promife. Here is an allegory, a great myftery, that people think not of, when they ready of Ifhmael and Ifaac. Now Hagar, which is the law, or covenant of works, is faid to gender into bondage; because it makes them bond-men, that look to be faved and juftified thereby, and fo it is called the miniftration of death, 2 Cor. iii. 6.: whereas the gofpel, and the new covenant, is a difpenfation of life and liberty, being the channel in which the Spirit of life does run, chap. iii. 2. And while Jerufalem that now is, is faid to be in bondage with her children; it fhews the mifery of the Jewish church, by refufing Chrift, and establishing their own righteoufnefs, feeking to be faved by the deeds of the law, and fo being in bondage, and depriving herself of the heavenly inheritance. As Hagar then fignifies the law, fo does Ifhmael all legalists, and felf-jufticiaries, who look to be faved by the law: they that have not fled to Chrift for refuge and righteoufnefs, but remain under the law, they are Ihmaelites, and in fpiritual bondage to fin, and legal bondage unto death and wrath, according to the tenor of the law they are under. But now, "Jerufalem, which is above, fays the apoftle, is free, which is the mother of us all," ver. 26. Here Paul fhews what was figured by Sarah, namely, the new Jerufalem; that is, the catholic church, Heb. xii. 22, 23. and Rev. xxi. 2.. By the

new

new Jerufalem, then underfland all the invifible church, whereof Jerufalem was a type in many refpecs: hence faid to be ABOVE; becaufe all that are within the bond of the new covenant are from above; their election, redemption, effectual vocation, juftication, fanctification, and all is from above; and they dwell above in heaven by faith, according to the meafure of the Spirit of faith. This Jerufalem that is above is free, fays the apostle, in oppofition to the bondage that the Ifhmaelites and unbelievers are under; they are freed from the bondage of fin, death, and the curfe of the law. Now, this Jerufalem, or the church, is faid to be the mother of us all; becaufe the miniftry of the word, which is committed to the church's keeping, and which is compared to feed and milk, 1 Pet. i. 23. and ii. 2. is that by which children are brought forth to God in her: hence of Zion it is faid, This man and that man was born there," Pfal. lxxxvii. 4, 5, 6.

3. The confirmation is next, by the apofiles adducing the tellimony of the prophets; Sing, O barren, thou that didft not bear; break forth into finging, and cry aloud, thou that did not travail with child: for more are the children of the defolate, than the children of the married wife, faith the Lord," Ifa. liv. 1. The Chriflian church is called barren; becaufe, by the virtue and ftrength of nature, it bears no children to God, no more than Sarah did to Abraham but when the Spirit of Chrift comes to impregnate the word and ordinances with almighty efficacy, then a numerous feed is brought forth to the Lord Jefus, by virtue of the newcovenant promife. And fo,

4. The application of it follows in the words of the text; where the apoftle fhews, that as Sarah was a figure of the church catholic, fo Ifaac was a figure of all true believers, and children of God; Now we, brethren, as Ifaac was, are the children of promife.

In which words, you may notice the tranfition, the compellation, and the defcription.

1. A tranfition in the particle now, or therefore ; importing, the apoftle's proceeding next to make an application of what he had been faying to the cafe in

N 3

hand

hand. and adapting of it to their prefent circumflances, Now, q. d. After what hath been faid, let it be confidered, that this is a matter that concerns you, and me, therefore let us bring it home to ourselves.

2. A compellation, BRETHREN; intimating, that there is a fpiritual fraternity and brother-hood betwixt all true believers: they are all brethren by the Father's fide; for, they have all one Father, even the God and Father of cur Lord Jefus Chrift. They are alfo all brethren by the mother's fide; for, they all ly in the fame womb of the church. And they are all brethren by Chrift's fide; for they have all the felf-fame elder Brother, Jefus Chrift; begotten with the fame incorruptible feed of the word; and fed at the fame table, with the fame fpiritual food. This fpiritual brotherhood far exceeds the natural, even as far as God's Fatherhood, towards us, exceeds the natural fatherhood among men.

3. A defcription, particularly of believers, in a fuitaElenefs to the former doctrine; We, as Ifaac was, are the children of promife. Here they are defcribed in relation to the promife, and in allufion unto Ifaac.

(1.) In relation to the promife; We are the children of promife. By the promife here you may understand the covenant of grace, called the covenant of promife; and fo you may take it either for the promife made to Chrift, fuch as that, "He fhall fee his feed;" or the promife made to Abraham, "I will be thy God, and the God of thy feed:" or the promife made to the church, that being barren, she should bear many children, as it is in the preceding verfe. Now believers are called the children of promife, not only because they believe the promife, but because they are made the children of God by virtue of God's promife.

(2.) In allufion to Ifaac; or they are defcribed to be the children of the promife, in the manner that Ifaac was, in that he was born to Abraham, not by the ftrength of nature, but by the virtue of God's promife: as Ifaac was not born by natural power, but by the mere promife and power of God; fo believers are children of the promife, being born, as Ifaac, not by the

power

power of flesh and blood, but by the power of God putting virtue in the promife. The further explication I refer to the profecution of the following doctrine.

OBSERV. That all the children of God, or true believers are, like Ifaac, the children of promife.

I fhall not enlarge the proof of fo clear a point. You may read what our apofile fays, to this fame purpose, Rom. ix. 7, 8. where the children of the promife, fuch as Ifaac was, are oppofed to the children of the flesh. The promife is the believer's parent, by which he is begotten to a lively hope, and made a partaker of the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. When a poor foul is converted, it is the promise that does the bufinefs; the power and efficacy of the promife, in its performance, does change and renew the heart; James i. 18. "Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth;" that is, by the word of promife.

The method we lay down, for illuftrating this doctrinal obfervation, through divine affiflance, fhall be the following,

I. I would open up the promife, whereof believers are

the children.

II. Open up this character of their being the children of promife; and enquire how they are fo.

III. I would ftate the comparison, or run the parallel betwixt them and Ifaac; and fo fhow, that as Ifaac was, fo they are the children of promise.

IV. I would offer fome grounds of the doctrine, both with reference to the prolific virtue of the promise for begetting children to God, and alfo with reference to the bleft will and pleasure of the Promifer, why he will have all his children to be the children of promise.

V. Deduce Inferences for application..

I. The first head propofed, is, to open up the promise whereof believers are the children. Before I proceed