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The promises of the covenant were not to be accomplished without the faith and obedience of Abraham. God mentions the obedience of Abraham, in offering up Isaac, as a reason, why he would fulfil the promises. "By myself have I 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 multiplying I will multiply thy seed, as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed : because thou hast obeyed my voice."* faith and obedience of Abraham were means appointed, by which God fulfilled his promises. Abraham was required to walk before God, and be perfect, to keep the covenant, to put the seal of the covenant upon his infant offspring, and to command his children and household after him. God said, "I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that, which he hath spoken of him."+ God fulfilled his promise, in consequence of Abraham's doing *Gen. xxii. 16-18. + Gen. xviii. 19.

his duty. Indeed, the promise implied, that Abraham should have grace to do his duty; it implied both the means and the end.

The faith and obedience of parents were among the appointed means of continuing the church in succeeding generations. The conduct of parents was, in no small degree, connected with the state and character of their children. Hence, though the promise was absolute, that the church should be continued in the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet no unfaithful parent could reasonably hope for spiritual blessings to descend upon his children. The covenant itself shows, that it was God's immutable counsel to communicate such degrees of grace, in every generation, as to continue a succession of pious persons. But covenant mercy was not secured to the seed of the unfaithful. The immutability of the promise, therefore, was no excuse for neglect of duty; but a motive to parental faithfulness.

In perfect conformity with the grand design of the Abrahamic covenant, the Sinai covenant was given. God assured the Israelites, that, if they would keep this covenant, he would fulfil to them the promise which he made to Abraham. "If ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them"-"the LORD thy

God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy, which he swore unto thy fathers."* Under the Sinai covenant, the religious instruction of the rising generation was solemnly enjoined; and, as a motive to parental faithfulness, blessings were promised for children. In the following manner did God address his ancient church. "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.t-Oh! that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always; that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!-Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."§ The psalmist Asaph expressly declared to the people of Israel, that God established means of * Deut. vii. 12. † Deut. iv. 9. ‡ Deut. v. 29. § Deut. vi. 5—7.

religious instruction, in the time of their fathers, for the benefit of children. "He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them konwn to their children; that the generation to come might know them, even the children" who "should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God; but keep his commandments; and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation,—that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God;"—who "kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law."* In view of the covenant faithfulness of God, the psalmist David says, "The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those, that remember his commandments, to do them."+ Parents in the ancient church might hope, that, if they were faithful, God would bless them, "and their offspring with them;" they might hope, that their serving God, would, by divine grace, * Psalms, lxxviii. 5—10. † Psalms, ciii. 17, 18. ‡ Is. lxv. 23.

be made a mean of their children's serving him. Accordingly, Joshua says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."* And Solomon says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and, when he is old, he will not depart from it."+

From this view of God's covenant with Abraham, it appears, that the Israelites had peculiar advantages, and that their children might derive great benefit from circumcision, or from the gracious covenant, which was ratified by circumcision. To this question, "What advantage, then, hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?" the Apostle answers, "Much every way; chiefly, because" "unto them were committed the oracles of God."‡ The Jews enjoyed divine revelation, containing promises of covenant mercy for them and for their children. To them pertained the covenants, and the promises; and all the precious means of continuing the church among their descendants, from generation to generation.

3. The covenant made with Abraham, secured to his seed the possession of the land of Canaan.

Canaan, as a type of the heavenly land, was an important blessing promised in the * Joshua, xxiv. 12. † Prov. xxii. 6. ‡ Rom. iii. 1, 2.