History of Presbyterianism

who was “set up from everlasting, from the begin- ning, or ever the earth was,” hath appeared and abol- ished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel, and hath established his kingdom of grace, which is not of the world, under the gos- pel dispensation.

The promises made to Abraham by the oath of God were that in blessing he should bless him, and in multiplying he should multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and that his seed should possess the gate of his enemies, and that in his seed should all the na— tions of the earthbe blessed; because he had obeyed the voice of the Lord in offering his son, his only son Isaac. We must not apply restrictively the tenor of this covenant to the patriarch Abraham and to his seed according to the flesh, but must assuredly trans- fer it from the typical head and his natural seed to the real as his seed, and to the ten thousand times ten thousand and the thousands of thousands, who said with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive riches, and power, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Rev. v: 12. The ratification of the covenant is too sol- emn and heavenly to be considered as confirmed to any but unto the real seed, who took not on him the nature of angels, but took the seed of Abraham, as is clearly declared of him: “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the work of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection

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