what he commands; to give up his own partial, dark, blind understanding, to his direction-hat he is True, and Almighty, and therefore will perform his promises, however difficult and improbable they may appear to our limited capacities-that he is Holy and Just, and will finally recompense every one according to his deeds-that he is the Lord of life-that, therefore, life is his property, and to be given on what terms he pleases-that as all men are sinners against him it belongs to him to appoint the mode of reconciliation and remission of sins; and that we have no other part, to act, than to submit to what he shall direct-that whatever atonement he hath appointed for sin, or whatever institutions he hath commanded in order to make us partakers of the atonement, our duty is to obey absolutely and implicitly-that whatever mode of conduct he shall prescribe, we ought cheerfully to conform to it— that, therefore, we must do all those things which he commandeth, and refrain from every thing which he forbiddetb. Then shall we be "of faith, and," consequently, "the children of Abraham;" for so it is asserted in the text, "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." This was the last thing into which I proposed to inquire, namely,

IV. The meaning of the expression, "the children of Abraham."

The relative state of father and child is used in a variety of senses in the Bible, but they are not necessary to be here considered.

The Jews called themselves "the children of Abraham," not only on account of their natural descent from him; but also because they were heirs of the covenant of circumcision, and of all the promises made to him. In this sense, they who were proselyted to their religion, and admitted into the covenant made with Abraham, were his children equally with those who were born Jews. In conformity to this Hebrew expression, St. Paul uses the phrase, "children of Abraham" in the text, to mean those who imitated Abraham's faith, by believing God as he did. And as children are entitled to their father's inheritance,

it will follow, that they who are of faith, and thereby the children of Abraham, shall possess the blessings promised to him, and conferred on him by God, in whom he believed. Accordingly the Apostle saith, "They which be of faith are blessed with faith'ul Abraham "* thai is, they who believe God, as Abraban believed him, shall have their faith accounted to them for righteousness, even as their father Abraham had his faith accounted to hin.

Upon the whole, the meaning of the text appears to be this That Abraham believed God to be the Creator and Disposer of all things; the supreme Lord of all nature; that he was worthy to be relied on in all he said, and able. to perform all he promised; that he was good, and would not fail to give him all good things necessary for him; that he was his Creator, and had a right to co nmand his obedience; bis Sovereign whom he had offended, and, therefore, it was ins duty to submit to the terms of reconciliation which he should appoint, and faithfully perform them: That accordingly he did do all these things with a sincere heart; believed what God said; embraced what he promised; obeyed what he commanded; Particularly with regard to the great Mediator whom God gave him a right to expect, that, by faith, he embraced him, and entered into covenant with God, that he might receive the blessings of his mediation: That God accepted his faith and piety, and accounted bun righteous, forgiving his sins on account of it: That all they, of whatever age or nation, who do imitate this faith of Abraham, shall be esteemed by God as his children, and heirs of the spiritual promises made to him; particularly of that forgiveness of sins, through the Mediator, which he obtained.

The way, then, is plain and open before us. God is. .the same now, as he was in the days of Abraham; merciful, and gracious, and just, and powerful; as ready to Help, and protect, and bless us, as him. With us, then, it remains to imitate Abraham's faithful and obedient disposition; and God will give us the blessing of Abrai an, the holy protection of his good providence, the powerful

* Gal. iii. 9.

assistance of his divine grace, the remission of our sins through the atonement of the Mediator, and eternal life in the heavenly Canaan.

DISCOURSE I.

PART II.

THE faith and piety towards God, for which Abraham hath always been justly celebrated, have been already noticed, in the more remarkable circumstances of his life. But as some of them were but slightly considered, I shall bring them again under consideration, with a view of drawing from them some lessons of use to us, in our Christian conduct. And,

1. When Abraham, at the command of God, quitted his native country, it seems to have been sinking fast into idolatry and wickedness. To preserve him pure in religion and virtue, God probably took him out of it. He readily obeyed the command of God to leave it, renouncing at once all the advantages of family, friends, and connections, when they came in competition with his duty. In this let Abraham be our example.

God does not command us to leave our country, and the advantages of family connections, and to sojourn in a strange land; but he does command us to renounce the world, and not to live by its temper and spirit, because "the friendship of the world is enmity with" him*-He does require us to forego all advantages of every kind, and all gratifications of body or mind, which are inconsistent with our duty to him; all extravagant appetites of nature, the lust of covetousness, the pride of life, he does command us to mortify and keep under. And if we would be the children of Abraham," and heirs of the promises God made and fulfilled to him, we must imitate his faith and obedience-believe stedfastly what God hath said, and obey exactly what he hath commanded. Then shall the blessings of Abraham descend on us-the protection and grace of God, the remission of sins, and everlast

Jam. iv. 4.

ing life through the Redeemer: For "they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham."

2. When Abraham sojourned in Canaan, the inhabitants, though their iniquity was not full, were irreligious and wicked; yet Abraham lived among them, without having his religion or morals corrupted by their evil example. God promised, if he would obey him with an honest and upright heart, to protect and bless him, and to give that country to him and his descendants: He also promised, that the Mediator, who should be a blessing to him an to all the families of the earth, should be born of his posterity. That our state does, in many respects, resemble that of Abraham, a little reflection will convince, us.

By God's providence we are to sojourn in Christ's Church or Kingdom in this world, which is infested with idolatry, heresy, schism, false doctrines, and wicked meinbers. He hath commanded us to govern ourselves by his laws, that our faith be not corrupted, nor our unity with his Church destroyed, nor our Christian practice depraved, by their errors and evil example; and hath promised, that if we do walk before him in faith and uprightness of heart, in union with his Church, and in holiness of life, according to the gospel, he will protect and bless us, and, through the mediation of Christ, make us partakers of eternal life in his heavenly kingdom.

This is a short account of our true and real state; what then ought to be our conduct in it? We call ourselves reasonable creatures, and, I hope, endeavour to behave as such: How then will reason direct us to act under such circumstances? to pay no regard to the' com nands, and promises, and threats of Almighty God? to be unconcerned about our religious principles? and fondly inagine, that if we choose error, our choice will have an influence on him, and reconcile him to it? that if we indulge the vicious appetites of the body, and the malignant passions of the mind, they must of course appear as harmless to him, as they do to us? that if we perversely confound good and evil, virtue and vice, sin and holiness, truth and falsehood; and, regardless of the distinction