History of Presbyterianism ful solemnity of an oath, could not be altered. "And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, by myself I have sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multi¬ plying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; be¬ cause thou hast obeyed my voice." Gen. xxii: 15-18. Here, then, in the progress of revelation, another typical and very important character is exhibited, even Isaac, the child of promise, of whom the Lord said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Gen. xxi: 12. Now bear always in mind the Apostle Paul's understanding of the promise in Isaac: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. iii: 16. We are led now to the covenant in its second aspect and character; and therefore our transition must be agreeable to the tenor of the Abrahamic covenant in its twofold meaning, and understand it as applied to Abraham and his lineal descendants, in the very literal sense of the word of God . And the second application to Abraham and to his spiritual seed, that is, Christ, in the spiritual sense of the word of God ; for there is an intimation in the word of a sec¬ ond call from heaven, after Abraham obeyed the voice of the Lord in offering up his son Isaac, in 234