the Old Testament dispensation which was confined to the Jews, and the city of whose solemnities Jerusalem was, Psal. cxxii. 4. Isa. xxxiii. 20. As it is evident that by Jerusalem is meant Judah, and by Samaria, Israel, each nation being denominated from its metropolis, so is it that the word covenant here is to be understood as in Jer. xxxi. and Heb. viii. where God says, Behold, the days come when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake, &c. In these passages the word covenant signifies a testament, and therefore so must it in this, the subject being the same. Jeremiah, and after him the apostle testifies that the Israelites brake God's covenant: and in this place God says to Jerusalem, Thou hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant, verse 59th. Therefore when he promises that he will give her Samaria and Sodom for daughters, but not by her covenant, the meaning is that he will not give them by the covenant made with her in the days of her youth, or the Old Testament; but by the better covenant which he would make with her in the latter days, i. e. the New Testament. The Old Tes tament is called hers, because it was made with, or dispensed to her, and not to other nations. So our apostle calls the word preached to the Gentiles, the gospel of the uncircumcision; and that to the Jews, the gospel of the circumcision, Gal. ii. 7. This promise, I say, began to be fulfilled in the apostolic age, though in the future conversion of Jews and Gentiles it shall be perfectly so, Rom. xi. 15, 25. Then the word of the Lord, beginning at Jerusalem, Luke xxiv. 47. thousands of the Jews were soon converted, Acts ii. 41. and iv. 4. Afterwards the same word being preached at Samaria, many of its inhabitants believed and were baptized, both men and women. And to these did the church at Jerusalem testify affection, as a mother to her children, Acts viii, 12, 14. That she also as a mother received Sodom, i. e. some of the Moabites and Ammonites, the descendants of Lot*, Jer. xlviii. ult. and xlix. 6. cannot be doubted, when we recollect that our apostle a little after his conversion, went to preach the gospel in Arabia, where these nations, together with the Ishmaelites lay, Psal. lxxxiii. 6, 7Gal. i. 17. The order observed in this remarkable passage may possibly intimate that in which the glorious conversions shall take place in the ages to come. First, the Jews, or the two tribes, whose progenitors were the first to bring back the typical David, 2 Sam. xix. 11—43. Then the ten tribes, who so early revolted, and last of all the fulness of the Gentiles, Rom. xi. 15. But leaving secret things unto the Lord, we go on to observe, 10thly, and Lastly, From what was said, we may learn that the number of the redeemed shall be immense. If in our apostle's time, and for two hundred years after, the spiritual seed of Abraham were more numerous than his natural; if in every age, even the most depraved, there have still been some who rejoiced in Christ Jesus; if in the latter days all the_natural seed of Abraham shall become his spiritual, Rom. ii. 12, 26.; if the fulness of the Gentiles shall come into the church, Rom. xi. 25.; if the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea, Isaiah xi. 9.; if the Lord shall be king over all the earth, Zech. xiv. 9.; if all dominions shall serve and obey him, Dan. vii. 27.; if the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, Dan. vii. 27.; if they shall possess it for ever, Dan. vii. 18, 22.; if Zion shall be an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations, Isa. lx. 15.; if her people shall be all righteous, verse 21. a Canaanite being no more in the house of the Lord, Zech. xiv. ult.; if a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation, Isa. lx. ult. O what shall be the num * See Vitringa in Jesaiam, vol. 1. p. 586. vol. 2. p. 51, ber of the ransomed when assembled in one illustrious body! It exceeds all our apprehensions. What was promised to Abraham, shall be amply fulfilled. Said God, I will make thy seed as the seed of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: so shall thy seed be, Gen. xiii. 16. and xv. 5. which passages are to be understood chiefly of his believing seed. The Father could say, By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, Isa. liii. 11. In my Father's house, said the Son, are many mansions, viz. for the reception of the redeemed, John xiv. 2. By the obedience of one, saith our apostle, shall many be made righteous, Rom. v. 19. John having heard the number of them which were sealed of the tribes of Israel, a definite being put for an indefinite, immediately adds, After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands. And by one of the elders he was informed, that these are they who came out of great tribulation, and had washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 9, 14. It is not the part of modesty either to enquire into the absolute number of the redeemed, or what proportion they shall bear to the whole of the human race. These are things which the day shall declare. Meanwhile it cannot but be matter of joy to all who love the Lord, to think that the ransomed from among the sons of men shall be innumerable as the sand of the sea. And that Messiah seeing his seed, the travail of his soul, shall be satisfied to eternity; and never once shall say, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought. Secondly, From what was said on the doctrinal part of the subject, be persuaded, my brethren, to examine yourselves, whether ye be the children of the bond woman, or of the free. Though naturally the descendants of Japheth, yet in a moral sense ye must be children either of Hagar, or of Sara. Either, like the Judaizing Galatians, leaning on the works of the law for acceptance, or, like the apostle, and those who were with him, living by the faith of the Son of God, and glorying in his cross, The law of Mosaic ceremonies being no more, legalists cannot cleave to them. Yet as the covenant of works was before they existed, so it now remains though they be for ever abolished. The moral law delivered to Adam, cannot but be still in force. And unto it as a covenant all do cleave, who hearing of Christ, do not cordially embrace him. On their obedience to that law they lean for life. On their morality, lame as it is, they build their hopes of acceptance. It alters not the matter whether the works on which men do build, be moral only, ceremonial only, or both. For in each of these cases works are opposed to justification by Christ. Now, as every man not plunged in absolute despair leans on something for his acceptance in the sight or God, it is evident that the sons of the bond woman and of the free divide the whole body of professors. If, rejoicing in Christ, ye reject all confidence in the works of the law, then are ye the children of the free woman. And of consequence, if ye do not rejoice in Christ alone, as the sole ground of your glorying before God, ye must be the children of the bond. It is therefore a matter of the utmost importance to know in yourselves to which of the two you belong. While ignorant of this, you are ready to commit the most palnable mistakes, in grasping at promises not pertaining you, or in fearing where no fear is. to of the Tow mournful when they who are under the curse law, seem to themselves to hear nothing but the s as from mount Gerizzim! And they who are "ith faithful Abraham, are all their life-time through fear of the curse as from mount xxvii. 12, 13. Is it not unspeakably betrty to know on what ground they stand? blessing blessed in bondag Ebal! Deut.. ter for either pe To assist you in this important enquiry, I offer the few following observations. 1st. They who are the children of the free woman, have high and honourable thoughts of that grace which gave them birth. As they are debtors to it, so advocates for it. Wisdom is justified of all her children, Luke vii. 35. They know that it is only sovereign grace which makes one to differ from another, and therefore unto it alone they ascribe their all. They know that had it not been for the grace given to them in Christ their head, and imparted to them in the day of power, they had, as others, continued the children of wrath. With our apostle they are ever ready to say, By the grace of God I am what I am, 1 Cor. xv. 10. It is very observable that as men are of grace or of works, so are their thoughts and their words. The one are unwearied in extolling the riches of free grace, the other are no less so in proclaiming every one his own good, Prov. xx. 6. While the one are ever and anon stating quarrels, and starting objections at the doctrine of grace; the other are uniformly crying, This is all my salvation and all my desire. It has seldom been seen that a child of grace employed his time and talents in wrangling against it. This is not the spot of God's children. While others can boldly interrogate a sovereign God, multiplying their hows and their whys: the latter, wrapt as in a pleasing astonishment, cry out, Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my fathers house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 2 Sam. vii. 18. 2dly. The children of the free woman walk and worship in the Spirit. Being born of the Spirit, their conversation bears some proportion to their heavenly birth. Not being under the law, they are led by the Spirit, as our apostle teacheth, Gal. v. 18. and living in the Spirit, they also walk in the Spirit, verse 25. Being Christ's they crucify the flesh, with their affections and lusts, verse 24. They bring forth all the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, verses 22, 23. Having received the Spirit in |