Now, I faid, that as Ifaac was born of the free-woman, fo are believers free indeed, because the Son makes them free; they are from Jerufalem which is above, and is free, ver. 26. They are not under the law, but under grace."

8. Ifaac was no fooner born, than he was mocked and perfecuted by Ifhmael, the fon of the bond-woman; "As he that was born after the flesh perfecuted him that was born after the Spirit, fo it is now," faid the apoftle in his day, Gal. iv. 29.; and fo it is now, fay I, in our day; and fo it will be to the end of the world. Our apoftle here defigns to prevent the believing Galatians their ftumbling at the oppofition they might meet with from the Jews, who were fo tenacious of their law, as to be ready to perfecute these that would not fubmit to it; he tells them, that this was no more than what was pointed out in the type; and, as it was betwixt Ifaac and Ifhmael, fo will it be betwixt believers and unbelievers, these that are under the law, and these that are under grace. The feed of the woman, and the feed of the ferpent cannot agree; "All that will live godly in Chrift Jefus, muft fuffer perfecution," 2 Tim. iii. 12. ALL, without exception, that will live godly in Christ Jesus, muft lay their account with perfecution; and more efpecially thefe that preach and profess the gospel, must look to be hated and reproached; "You fhall be hated of all men for my name's fake," Luke xxi. 17. Mat. x. 22. Of all men, that is, of all that do not embrace the gofpel, you in particular fhall be hated; for, the devil fhoots his arrows at the whiteft marks. The apoftle here seems to point at fecret enemies, and false brethren, that pretend to religion, and are feemingly holy, Gal. ii. 4. compared with chap. i. 6, 7., And here it was a circumcifed Ishmael that fcoffed at Ifaac, Gal. vi. 29. compared with Gen. xxi. 9. The most deadly enemies of Chrift, were these who ftiled themselves Abraham's feed, and were so according to the flesh: hence the church complains, Song i. 6. "My mother's children were angry with me;" i. e. my mother's children by external profeffion. The greatest enemies of the church, for the most part, are these vipers that ly in her own bow

els::

els: the children of the promife may look to be caft out by their feeming brethren, Ifa. lxi. 5.; and to be counted as monfters, figns, and wonders, and that even in Ifrael, Ifa. viii. 18. and men wondered at, Zech. iii. 8. If it be fo to this very day, think it not strange, for the world will be like itfelf. "I would be offended," faid Luther, "if the world were not offended at me.” There is perfecution in reproachful words; Ifhmael's mocking of Ifaac is here called perfecution. We read of fourteen or fifteen feveral trials that the Old-Teflament martyrs endured, Heb. xi. 35,-38. whereof this was one, cruel mockings. To be fmitten with the tongue, is fometimes a very cruel thing; to be called mad, drunk, peftilent, turbulent fellows, as the apoftles were, Acts ii. 13. xvii. 18, 19. xxvii. 24. xxviii. 22.; to be counted the off-fcourings of all things: yea, and firebrands of contention, are grievous charges, and afflicting to the godly: "Wo is me, my mother, that thou haft born me a man of ftrife, and a man of contention to the whole earth?" Jer. xv. 10. The beft cordial for a child of God in that cafe, is the like of that word, "If "If ye be reproached for the name of Chrift, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God refteth on you," 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. "On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified," Mat. v. 11, 12.

9. Ifaac was the heir by promise, tho' thus perfecuted, Gal. iv. 30. compared with Gen. xxi. 10. xv. 3, 4. Even fo, believers, the children of promife, are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift; " If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift; if so be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glorified together," Rom. viii. 17. They are born heirs of the crown of glory; as children of the promife, they are just begotten to a lively hope by the refurrection of Chrift from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away, 1 Pet. iii. 4, 5. They that are effectually hooked by the promife, though they may swim for a while in the fea of this finful and troublesome world, yet the line on which the hook of the promife hings, will draw them at length to the shore of

glory:

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glory: Faithful is be that promifeth, who alfo will do it. Yea, the gofpel-believer only is the heir, Rom. iv. 14.

10. The trials and difficulties that encountered Ifaac in the way of the accomplishment of the promife, were very great; and fo may it be with all believers, the children of promife, before they be put in full poffeffion of the promised inheritance. We touched already the trial of Abraham's faith with respect to the birth of Ifaac, and the difficulties that ftood in the way of that promife, Abraham's body being dead, and Sarah also being of a barren fterile conftitution, naturally, and now paft the prolific age. But after Ifaac was given in this extraordinary manner, and entered heir of the promife, fuch difficulties prefented themfelves as feemed, at one blow, to cut off the intail of the promife for ever: Behold, Abraham is ordered to go and facrifice Ifaac, Gen. xxii. 2. compared with Heb. xi. 17, 18, 19. A greater trial was never put upon any creature after he had received the promife: what promife? that in Ifaac fhould his feed be called; that he fhould be one of the progenitors of the Meffias, and all nations be bleffed in him: fo that, in being called to offer up his Ifaac, the hope of his family, his only fon, whom he loved; he feemed at the fame time, to be called to go and cut off the promises of God, to prevent the coming of Chrift, and fo deftroy the whole world; to facrifice his own foul, and his hopes of falvation in Chrift, promifed to come of Ifaac; and to cut off the church of God at one blow a very terrible trial! Ifaac was the only one that he was to have by his wife Sarah, the only one that was to be the child and heir of the promife; the only fon that could convey to all nations the promised bleffing; a fon for whom he waited fo long, received in fo wonderful a manner, on whom his heart was fet; and to offer up his fon as a facrifice, and that by his own hand, which looked like the murder forbidden in the fixth command; it was a trial that would have overfet the firmeft and ftrongeft mind that ever informed a hu man body: Yet he offered up Ifaac by faith; he did it intentionally, and was ready to have done it actually, and went as far in it as the critical moment, and would

have gone through with it, if God had not prevented him; for the ground of his faith was, that he accounted that God was able to raise him up from the dead; fo that it would feem that Abraham had no expectation of being countermanded. Thus the trial went to the last extremity; and then, you know, how the Lord appeared.-Now, in like manner, the children of promife, believers in Chrift, after they are entered heirs of the promife, extraordinary difficulties may appear, which their faith will have to ftruggle with; providences may run fo cross to the promife, as that the fatal knife may feem to be at the very throat of the promise, to cut it off for ever from being accomplished. Ifaac was given up for dead; and Abraham received him, as it were, from the dead, Heb. xi. 19.: His return to him was no lefs than a refurrection. The children and heirs of the promife are not then to think ftrange concerning the fiery trial, that is to try them, as tho' fome ftrange thing happened to them, 1 Pet. iv. 12.; but are to believe that the promife will make its way thro' fire, and water, and death, and dreadful extremities; "That the trial of faith being much more precious, than of gold that perifheth, tho' it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Chrift Jefus," 1 Pet. i. 7.-Thus you may obferve the parallel, in manifold particulars, betwixt believers and Ifaac; and fee how, as Ifaac was, they are the children of promife.

IV. The Fourth general Head, which was, To offer the grounds and reafons of the doctrine, whence and why it is that the children of God are the children of promife. And here three diftinét questions may be accounted for: 1. Whence it is that the promise hath fuch a prolific virtue for begetting children to God? 2. Why God will have his children to be fo by the promife? 3. Why will he have them, and them only, to be the children of the promife?-A word to each of thefe.

1ft, Whence it is that the promise hath fuch a prolific virtue for begetting children to God? or, how it is the mean of bringing forth children? In general, it is by

divine deftination and appointment made the great inftrument of begetting God's children; "Of his own will bǝgat he us, with the word of truth," James i. 18. And more particularly, it hath virtue for producing this effect, in the following refpects.

1. As it is the discovery of divine love, the manifeftation of divine grace, in Chrift; "The grace of God, that bringeth falvation, hath appeared unto all men," Tit. ii. 11. and this revelation is the channel of divine power; "I am not ashamed of the gofpel of Chrift; for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew firft, and alfo to the Greek for therein is the righteoufnefs of God revealed from faith to faith," Rom. i. 16, 17. The riches of God's grace and love to finners are manifefted in the gofpel-promife, and the freedom thereof, namely, his loving them because he loves them, Deut. vii. 6, 7, 8. and that he will pity for his own name's fake, as is often intimate in the promife. And when the Lord offers, in the promife, to break thro' all the unworthinefs and defervings of the creature, this tends to melt the greateft finner to the greatest felf-abafement, and the deepelt fenfe of his own nothingness, faying, "Lord, what am I?" It tends alfo to make the foul break forth into the highest admiration of God, faying, "O! who is like unto thee?" and to fall in love with that wonderful device of falvation by free grace, thro' Chrift Jefus, as the Lord our righteousness; and thus to bring the foul to God, as a child of promife, conquered by the irrefiftible grace thereof.

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2. The promise hath prolific virtue, as it is the object of faith, and the mean thereof; Rom. i. 16. is revealed to faith; that is, to be believed: there is the immediate object of faith; and it is this revelation that is appointed of God to be the very mean of faith; therefore it is faid, Rom. x. 17. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God:" and when faith comes this way, then perfons are the children of God by faith in Chrift.

3. The promise hath this prolific virtue, as it is the ground of hope to the poor perifhing finner; and when

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