and Foundation of all their Hopes, and of all their Comforts; and Which, by having a Title to it, and Intereft in it, doth give them a Title to, and Intereft in the Coleftial Inheritance, the Heavenly Country, the Everlasting Mansions in the Father's Houfe; and, in a word, to Salvation. And This the mentioned Covenant, the Blefing of Abraham, and the Promife of the Spirit is, and doth: This is the true Ground and Foundation of all the Hopes of Gentile-Believers, and of all their Comforts; and a Title in This, is the only Title they have to the Heavenly Bleffednefs and Salvation, or (as the Apostle is pleafed to ftile it) to the Inheritance. For thus in the Third of Gallatians, the Apostle carries it; when Verfe the 16th, he affirms, That to Abraham, and to bis Seed, were the Promifes made, and Verfe the 18th adds, That if the Inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of the Promife; but God gave it (namely the Inheritance) to Abraham by Promife: And by What Promife, but that ritified Covenant of Promife, I will be a God to thee, and to thy Seed? As appears by comparing it with Verse the 16th. But he af ferteth This more clearly afterwards, in Verfe the oth; where he fheweth, both that the only Title to the Inheritance is Heir

fhip, according to the Promife; and that the only way of Becoming Heirs according to the Promife, and fo of being interested in it, and entitled to it, is by becoming the Seed of Abraham to become the Children of God; and the only way of Becoming the Seed of Abraham (for the Gentiles,) is by Putting on of Christ through believing: For, faith he, if you be Chrift's, or the Members of Chrift; what then? Then you are Abraham's Seed; and what if Abraham's Seed? what then? Then you are Heirs according to the Promife. In fhort, this is the Clymax; if Believers, then Chrift's; if Chrift's, then Abraham's Seed; if Abras bam's Seed, then Heirs according to the Promife: for the Promife is, I will be a God to Thee, and thy Seed, and I will give to Thee, and thy Seed, &c.

Nor doth it make any Alteration in the Cafe, that Faith is now the requifite Con. dition of Salvation, or that we must believe to be faved: This but evidences the more clearly, that the Gofpel is but a Renovation of the Covenant of Abraham; for as it is through Faith, that we Gentiles do become Christ's, and by being Chrift's, that we become the Seed of Abraham, and confequently Heirs of Salvation according to the Promife; So it was through Faith,

the

the Righteousness of Faith, that Abraham (the Father of the Faithful) had the Promife himself: For fo the Apoftle, Rom. 4. 13. for the Promife, That he fhould be the Heir of the World, was not to Abraham, or to his Seed through the Law, but through the Righteoufnefs of Faith. Abraham believed God, and We Chrift; it was through Faith, that Abraham had the Promife; and through Faith alfo, that we the believing Gentiles have it; as being Children not of Abraham's Body, but of Abraham's Faith, Rom. 4. 12, 13, 16.

And if the Promife made to Abraham, be the Ground and Foundation of all our Hopes, and all our Expectations, as we are Chriftians, and it be the True Covenant of Grace; to be fure, it is ftill in being, or we do but beat the Air, and are at a lofs; our Hope is in vain, and our Rejoycing in vain; which God forbid: And in being it is; for the Law that came four hundred and thirty Years after, did not, could not Difanul the Promife that went before; and if the Law did not, if the Law could not, nothing elfe did, nothing elfe can difanul it: This the Apostle evidences, Gal. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17,18. And furely,the Promife to Abraham, I will be a God to thee,and to thy Seed &c. is a Covenant, a ratified Covenant,and confirm

ed

ed by two immutable things, by Word and Oath, In which it is impoffible for God to Lie; and therefore, cannot be difanulled; and if it be not difanulled, it is ftill.in being.

Here I thought to have difmiffed the First Particular, and fo (to) proceed to the Second: But it ftrikes into my Mind, that you may think I have not clearly enough expreffed what I mean by the Covenant, the Bleffing and the Promife of Abraham, which did defcend on the Gentiles; which if fo, would be Matter of a fresh Dispute : And therefore, though I think the Scriptures I have infifted on already, do fufficiently inftru& us in what the Promife is yet, to leave no room for any further Miftakes, I fhall be more express in it.

By the Promife, the Bleffing, the Covenant of Abraham, (for under all these three Terins it is reprefented by the Apostle) I mean that Covenant of Promise made to Abraham, Gen. 17.7, 8. confifting of Two Parts; a more Spiritual Part, in the 7th, I will be a God to thee, and thy Seed; and a more Temporal one in the 8th, And I will. give, &c. And I take in Both, because I find the Apoftle faying, That to Abraham, and to his Seed, were the Promifes made: the Promifes; not a Promise, (which had left it doubtful;) but the Promifes, as fpeaking

not

not of the One only, I will be a God to thee, and thy Seed, which is the Spiritual Part; but of the Other alfo, which is the Temporal, I will give to thee, and thy Seed, &c. Thus the Covenant of Promife involveth and includeth in it Two Promises; the One of which indeed is Principal, the Other but Additional, but Both are in the Covenant, in the Bleffing, and confequently Both are ratified and established: The Promises were made to Abraham, and to his Seed; the Covenant in both refpects defcends.

I know you take it for a very strong Argument, That the Covenant of Abraham, Gen. 17. 7, 8. cannot be the Evangelical and Gofpel-Covenant; because it is a Mixt one, and compofed of a Temporal (as well as of an Eternal) Bequest: But for that Reason, I the Rather take it to be Evangelical; For this is Gofpel, that Godliness is profitable unto all things; that is, in all refpects, in refpect of this World, and in refpect of the Other: And why fo? Why, it hath the Promife; Having (the) Promife of the Life that now is, as well as of that to come: And what is this but a Finger, to point you to the Covenant of Promife; as the Evangelical Covenant, the Promife, the Bleffing that did defcend on the Gentiles? I Tim. 4. 8.

And