I pray for them whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them, John xvii. 6, 9, 10. These were the seed he was to see when his soul made an of fering for sin, Isaiah liii. 10. the seed who are accounted to him for a generation, Psalm xxii. 30. It is in respect of them as promised to him in the covenant, and begotten by him through his word and Spirit, that he is called the Everlasting Father, Isaiah ix. 6. Re joicing in them, he can say, Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me, Isaiah viii. 18. Heb. ii. 13. As all the elect were given unto him in the covenant of promise before the world began, so in virtue of the same promise, they are in the appointed time born again. The time of Isaac's birth was not more particularly foretold to Abraham, than was that or their conversion agreed upon between the Father and the Son from the days of eternity. Some of them are regenerated sooner, and others later in life, but all of them in the time appointed by God. Sooner than it, they cannot come into the world of grace, and longer they shall not tarry in this world. For at the appointed time the decree shall bring forth, Zeph. ii. 2. As in the case of the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, Acts vii. 17. when the time of the promise draws nigh, every thing shall concur to effectuate their spiritual birth: witness a Manasseh, a Paul, and the Thief on the

cross.

It deserves our attention here, that Isaac who was the son of the promise, is also said to have been born after the Spirit, in opposition to Ishmael born after the flesh, Gal. iv. 29. In which respects they were lively emblems, the one of those who were born of the Spirit, John iii. 6. and the other of those who were born of the flesh. Isaac's birth was quite extraordinary, and in effect a new thing in the earth. Hence at the promise respecting it,the wondering patriarch fell on his face, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bring forth? Gen. xvii. 17. The child promised might be said,

to be born according to the Spirit, inasmuch as by his peculiar agency, Abraham and Sara were enabled to believe that there should be a performance of what God had said. Their faith on this occasion stands celebrated in the sacred pages. Of Abraham it is said, Not being weak in faith, he considered not his own. body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb. He staggered not at the promise through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness, Rom iv. 19-22. Concerning Sara it is said, through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised, Heb. xi. 11. Thus Isaac was the son of their faith, and therefore might justly be said to be born af ter, or according to the Spirit. What a lively type of those who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God? John i. 13.

On the other hand, Ishmael was born after the flesh. There was nothing extraordinary in his birth: Nay, he was as much the child of Abraham's unbelief, as Isaac was of his faith, and therefore he fitly represented those in whom there is nothing but what is natural: and who being after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh, Rom. viii. 5. The one son being said to be born after the flesh, and the other after the Spirit, may also signify that the former was in a state of nature, when he persecuted the latter, who was in a state of grace. The mockery of the one was no small evidence of his being then in his sins. And as for the other, there is reason to believe that he like the Baptist was sanctified from the womb. Thus they were lively figures of two kind of people, viz. they that are after the flesh, and they that are after the Spirit, Rom. viii. 5.

7thly. Sara's son was heir, Hagar's not. Similar to this, such as adhered to the Abrahamic covenant were heirs of eternal life, such as clave to the Sinai law

were not. This difference between the two typical sons is observed by our apostle, Gal. iv. 30. The son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So said Sara when she saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian mocking, Gen. xxi. 10. and what she said was confirmed by God himself, verse 12. with a view to which is the phraseology used, Gal. iv. 30. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? It is not what saith an angry woman? But what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond woman and her son; for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. The Lord speaking to Abraham concerning Eliezer of Damascus, said, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth of thine own bowels shall be thine heir, Gen. xv. 4. And speaking to him of Isaac then unborn, in opposition to Ishmael who was thirteen years of age, he said, My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sara shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year, Gen. xvii. 2. Not only was the typical Canaan promised to Abraham and to his seed, Gen. xii. 7. and xvii. 8. He also became heir of the world, as the word. is, Rom. iv. 13. and Isaac and Jacob were heirs with him of the same promise, Heb. xi. 9. Ishmael was not the heir, but Isaac. As before his birth, there was a promise of him, so also to him, viz. that he in his seed should inherit the typical Canaan, &c.

In like manner promises of grace and glory were made to the elect in Christ before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9. Tit. i. 2. There was a promise of them, as we saw under the preceding particular, they being promised unto Christ: and there was a promise to them, viz. the heavenly inheritance, together with all the blessings leading to it, and infallibly issuing in it, such as the new heart, and perseverance in a state of grace. But it is to be observed, that as the son of the promise could not be an actual heir till born, neither are the elect, till born again. Though grace is laid up in store for them in the purpose and covenant of God, yet it is only on their being born again that they be

come heirs. So the apostle teaches us to conceive of the matter, Rom. viii. 17. If children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. Hence it follows, If not children, then not heirs. The elect, prior to this regeneration, are the children of wrath, even as others, Eph. ii. 3. Being born again, they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby become the adopted children of God, John i. 12, 13. Gal. iii. 26. Being Christ's they are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise, verse 29. All things are theirs, when they become Christ's by vital union to him. On this turns their title to the inheritance, 1 Cor. iii. 21, 23. But while believers are heirs of the eternal inheritance, such as cleave to the law for life have no such claim. So then, says our apostle, they who be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham: But as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse, Gal. iii. 9, 10. Instead of being heirs of the promises, they are exposed to all the threatenings of the fiery law. The wrath of God abideth on them, John iii. ult.

Sthly. Sara's son was persecuted by Hagar's. In like manner they who trusted in the Abrahamic cove nant for eternal life, were persecuted by those who rested in the Sinai law; this our apostle expressly observes, Gal. iv. 29. As then he who was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born afer the Spirit, even so is it now. Of the persecution of Isaac we read, Gen. xxi. 9. Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, mocking. Small as this might seem in the scorner's own eyes, or in the judgment of others, we see the Spirit of God accounts it persecution. And indeed to a delicate mind mockery is a most cruel species of persecution. It is enumerated among the sufferings of those of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. xi. 36. And it was none of the least of the trials to which the personal Seed was subjected, Matt. xxvii. 29 -31, 39-44. 47-49.

During the Old Testament economy, how often did the carnal Jews persecute those, who Abraham-like, saw Messiah's day afar off, and rejoiced at it? Who persecut

ed the prophets, but those whose self-righteousness was so high in their own eyes, that it excited their indignation to hear their sins so much as mentioned? Though their hands were full of blood, yet they could spread them forth before the Lord, Isa. i. 15. It stands on record that they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. What else but their perse cution of the seed is meant by the parable of the vineyard let out to husbandmen? Matt. xxi. 38-46. It is said that they took the servants who were sent unto them, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third: did so a second time; and when last of all the son was sent, how did they conduct themselves? Why they said, this is the heir, come let us kill him. In what a feeling manner is the same truth set forth by our Lord, a little before his passion, Matt. xxiii. 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusa lem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Their implacable enmity appeared in their conduct towards him, whom with wicked hands they crucified and slew, Acts ii. 23. and when they could no longer touch his person, they still continued to wreck their malice on his members. Who shewed so much opposition to the apostles and their followers, as the carnal Jews?

Of this we find instances at every turn in the Acts of the Apostles, chap. vi. 9-18. vii. 57-59. xiii. 45, 46. xvii. 5-9, 13. Stephen charged it home upon them, that as their fathers did, so did they.. Which of the prophets, said he, have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them who shewed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers, Acts. vii. 52. Who had greater experience of their persecuting spirit, than the penman of my text? and therefore well might he say, As then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now. All