one passage so plain on this subject, and so obviously contrary to the opinion of those who support the doctrine of the two distinct seeds as heirs of the promises, as to claim particular attention. In Gal. iii. 16. the apostle observes, " To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds as of many, but to thy seed which is Christ." Nothing, we think, could be more inconclusive than the apostle's reasoning, if we considered him as attempting to prove that the promises were made to an individual. The term "seed" being collective, it would not be necessary to use the plural of that word in speaking of many. "Christ," therefore, in this passage, must, we imagine, denote, not the person of the Saviour, but his body, which is the church. This view of the meaning of the expression seems to be authorized by the language of Scripture on other occasions *. Every one at all acquainted with the sacred books, knows how often believers are represented as one with Christ. Hence they are said to be crucified with him, to be buried with him, and to rise again with him. We are warranted in viewing this as the meaning of the passage, by what follows in the very chapter in which it is found. The conclusion which the apostle instructs believers to draw from the circumstance of the promise being made to one "seed, that is Christ," is, that as they are Christ's, they are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise t.

Thus regarding the term Christ, as denoting all his members consi. dered as united in him, the argument appears clear and conclusive. But, if the apostle's reasoning be correct, then the notions of Dr. Macknight with respect to a dis

See particularly 1 Cor. xii. 12. Eph. i. 22.

tinction of seeds must be untenable. For, if one part of the promises given to Abraham had been made to the natural, and another to the spiritual seed, these promises would have been given to seeds as of a plurality. But we find in point of fact, that they were given to one seed, that is, Christ, or to that "church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all "

If the view which we have taken of this passage be just, it will appear that the seed of Abraham, to whom the promises were made, was the church of Christ. Is it asked, Of whom does this church consist? we answer, of all who believe the promises of the Gospel, a primary regard being always had to the natural posterity of Abraham. We think it may be proved, that the people of Israel were admitted to the possession of the temporal promise, not in virtue of their natural descent from the patriarch, but on the ground of faith, and because they were considered as the church of God. This we shall endeavour to show as briefly as possible.

Paul, in his epistles to the Romans and Galatians, argues from the manner in which the promises were given to Abraham, that the inheritance could not be of law as of right, but that it must be obtained by faith §. Without entering into his reasoning, it is sufficient to observe, that to Abraham all the promises were given in one manner, and therefore if the reasoning be valid with respect to one part of these promises, it must be equally applicable to them all: if the heavenly inheritance can be obtained only through faith, it was on the same ground alone that a title could be secured to the earthly Canaan. When Abraham is termed the

+ Gal. iii. 29.

§ Rom. iv. 13, &c. Gal. iii. 18.

father of circumcision, it seems reasonable to conclude that he was so to as many of those who received that "sign" as were interested in the covenant, of which it was the seal. Now we are told that he was constituted father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham. The obvious meaning of this passage is, that the literal offspring of Abraham were not considered as the seed to whom the promises were given, unless they were partakers of the faith of their ancestor. The whole history of Israel confirms the same truth. When Abraham was appointed the father of believers, his house became the household of faith. From this household Ishmael was cast out, when he persecuted him that was born after the spirit, and thus despised the promise which was made in himt. In like manner, Esau was ejected when he showed himself to be a profane person; and when the children of Israel were travel ling towards Canaan, it was because of unbelief that the whole of that generation, which had come out of Egypt, were prevented from enter. ing into the promised land §. They disbelieved the promise which God had made of bringing them to the land, and thereby threw discredit on the whole of the covenant, of which that promise formed a part. Faith was the foundation of their prosperity, when they were settled in the land; for the promise was, "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established:" and when at last they were driven from Judea, and dispersed among every people under heaven, so as to have

no country of their own, and no resting place among the nations, it was because of unbelief they were cast out. It is true that the possession of the land was often promised on condition of obedience; but it was that spiritual obedience which is at once the fruit and the evidence of the faith which purifieth the heart. They were commanded to love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their might; to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts, and to be holy as the Lord their God was holy. Nor in this respect did they differ from believers under the New Testament dispensation, for Christ became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

That the people of Israel were viewed as the church of Christ, appears from many passages of Scripture. When Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and chose rather to avow himself an Israelite, and to suffer affliction with the people of God, it was because he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. The misery of the Gentiles, who, before the advent of our Saviour, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, consisted in their being without Christ ||. In those prophecies which relate to the latter dispensation, God is almost uniformly represented, not as erecting a new church, but as visiting and reviving, extending and purifying, that which already existed T. And to add one other proof of the identi→ ty of the Old and New Testament churches, which seems to set the matter beyond a doubt, Paul, in

• Rom. iv. 12. § Heb. iii, 19.

Heb. xii. 17.

Acts xv. 15-17.

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speaking of believers in Christ as heirs according to the promise, describes the church as being formerly treated like an heir in nonage, differing little from a servant, being in bondage, and under tutors and governors; but now, since the appearance of Christ, receiving the adoption of a son, evidently viewing the church itself as the same, but invested with different powers and privileges. The change which took place in the church was indeed remarkable; and, considering the nature, the extent, and the importance of that change, we need not won der if it should sometimes seem to be described as an entire renovation.

Thus it appears that all the promises are given to the same seed upon the same ground. They were given to the church of Christ, the spiritual seed of Abraham, on the ground of faith in the promises of God. But it may be asked, were there not many Jews in possession of the land of Canaan, who were destitute of real faith? The fact is undeniable, that there were. But, it must be remarked, that when the blessings promised to believers are of a temporal or worldly nature, it is impossible, without a continual miracle, that unbelievers should not partake of them. The ordinances of Christianity, under the new dispensation, are certainly the property of believers alone; yet our Saviour has taught us to expect that tares will be sown among the wheat, that unbelievers will be found in his visible church. And if this be the case, even after the Gospel has been published in all its clearness, and in all its spirituality, is it to be wondered at that it should have been so when the spirituality of the Gospel was imperfectly known, and its promises indistinctly revealed?

It was foretold, as we have already seen, that the Messiah should come to purify his church. Yet, even since his appearance, how much impurity has been found within it! Awful indeed were the threatenings denounced by God against his ancient people; but threatenings no less decided, and scarcely less awful, were uttered by our Lord against the churches which his own apostles had planted t. Human sagacity cannot always distinguish the true believer from the hypocrite; and the privileges of the former must therefore, as far as they are of an external nature, be frequently shared by the latter; but still they are privileges to which the hypocrite has no real title, and he enjoys them merely in virtue of the character which he assumes, and which he is supposed by others to possess. The true Israel of God, who were entitled to the promises, were those of a clean heart, in whom there was no guile §. They were not indeed "all Israel who were of Israel || ;" but there was always, even in the darkest periods of their history, “ a remnant according to the election of grace." At one time, when the service of God was so deserted that the prophet of the Lord thought himself left alone of all his faithful worshippers, there were seven thousand in the land who had not bowed the knee to Baal; and in like manner, in every age, God had a seed to serve him, a people who trusted in his promises, and waited for his salvation; and on their account the land was continued to Israel, and enjoyed even by those who persecated them, and despised the God whom they worshipped T.

But while the promises appear to have been made to the spiritual seed of Abraham alone, yet, in them all, there was a primary regard to

+ Rev. ii. & iii. ¶ Isa. vi. 13. Amos ix. 9.

his natural offspring. The cove nant was originally made in the house of Abraham; the church was erected in his family, and the stranger was considered as added to the church which already existed among his children. The effects of this primary respect were different at different periods of the church; but nothing can be more incorrect than the idea that the temporal promise was made exclusively to the literal seed, while they had no peculiar interest in the spiritual blessings of the covenant. It was by them indeed that the privileges of the ancient church, particularly after the middle wall of partition was raised at Sinai, were principally enjoyed. Yet even then it was said to them with regard to the proselyte, "As ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you." It appears, therefore, that the descendants of Abraham were the first, but not the only objects of the divine regard. The same thing holds true under the new dispensation. Our Lord confined his personal ministry, and that of his apostles, to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel +;" and after his ascension, wherever the Gospel was preached, it was to the Jews that it was, in the first instance, address ed. The reason of this was given by Peter in language truly remarkable, and in language which is perfectly inconsistent with any idea of the covenant but that which we have now taken, "Ye are the children of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised

up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities §." "To the Israelites pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants and the promises |.." For even the new covenant was made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah T. And cast out as they have been by the righteous judgment of God, and persecuted even by those nations who never heard of their crime, and in every country held out as a mark for the finger of scorn, still they are "beloved for the fathers' sakes **." The designs of providence are gracious to them; and the time is approaching when they too shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles, and so "all Israel shall be saved tt," Shall we be deemed fanciful in conceiving a reference to be made to the same primary regard to the offspring of Abraham in the apocalyptic vision, when the apostle says, "I heard the number of them who were sealed, and there were sealed a hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb ++."

Such appears to be the view given by Scripture of the covenant with Abraham; and it contains within itself the whole history of revealed religion. We find one family selected from mankind, and appointed to be the preservers of the promises and of the worship which was founded upon them. We find the parent of this family constituted the father of all them who believe, a father of many nations; an appointment which implied not only