confin'd to this Life; I obferve, that God owns himself to be the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob, after their Death. This is our Saviour's own Argument, wherewith he puts the Sadduces to filence, Mat. 22. 31, 32. But as touching the Refurrection of the Dead, have ve not heard what was spoken unto you by God, faying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the Dead, but of the Living. This is a very fenfible Argument, to prove, that these good Men ftill live to God. For when the Multitude heard this, they were aftonished at his Doctrine, at the undeniable Clearness and Evidence it carried with it. For to be a God to any Perfon, is to be a Benefactor, his Preferver, his Shield, his Pórtion, his Reward; as God promised to Abraham. And therefore, when fuch a Perfon ceafes to be, God ceafes to be his God; for he is not the God of that which is not. God is the God of all Men, and of all the World, as God fignifies a Creator, and a Sovereign Lord; but in this Senfe he cannot be the God of that which is

For the Relation begins and ends with the Relative; he was not the God of Man, till he made him; nor can he be the God of Man any longer than he preferves him in being. And therefore in this common and general Notion of a God, it is evident, that God is not the God of the Dead, but of the Living. Much more, when to be a God fignifies a God in Covenant; fo to be a God to Abraham, and Ifaac, and Facob, as he was not to the rest of Mankind. For if thofe good Men perifhed in the Grave, there was an end of God's Covenant with them; of all that peculiar Love and Favour, which he had promifed to them, as far as concern'd their own Perfons. I know not what to add to make our Saviour's Argument more plain than it is.

And at

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prefent we only confider the Force of the Argument, not the Authority of the Speaker. And if God's being the God of Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, prov'd that they were ftill alive, then his Promife to them, to be their God, muft include in it the Promife of immortal Life. Thus far I think all Chriftian Writers agree, that this Argument proves that the Souls of good Men live after Death; though fome know not how to apply this to the Refurrection of the Body, for which purpose our Saviour here alledges it. But this is not my Business at prefent, to prove the Refurrection of the Body, but only the Immortality of the Soul and a future State; which this Argument fufficiently proves. And therefore I fhall referve the Confideration of it, as it relates to the Refurrection, for a more proper Place.

8. As this Promife, which God made to Abraham, to be their God, did extend to the other World; fo the promifed Seed did peculiarly fignify the Meffias; and the fpiritual Bleffings of his Kingdom. Which is a farther Proof, that God's Covenant with Abraham did contain all the Promifes of Life and Immortality, which is now brought to Light by the Gospel. To understand this, we must firft diftinguish between that promifed Son, from whom his numerous Pofterity, like the Stars in the Heaven, and like the Sand upon the Sea-fhore, fhould defcend; and the promised Seed, in whom all the Nations of the Earth fhould be bleffed: And Secondly, we must diftinguish between Abraham's carnal Seed, and Pofterity, and Abraham's Children, who are the Heirs of the Promifes. If we will allow St. Paul to be a good Expofitor of God's Covenant with Abraham, he is very exprefs in this: And I fhall fhew you, that this Diftinction is very visible in the Covenant it felf.

As to the firft, St Paul is very exprefs in it, that Chrift is the promised Seed. Galat. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promifes made: He faith not, unto Seeds, as of many: but as of one; and to thy Seed, which is Chrift. God had promised Abraham a Son in his old Age; and Ifaac was that Son; and in that Senfe Ifaac was the Son of the Promife, in whom Abraham's Seed fhould be called; that, from whom that numerous Pofterity fhould defcend, whom God would peculiarly own for Abraham's Seed in Covenant with him. But yet Ifaac was not that Seed, in whom all the Nations of the Earth fhould be bleffed. Nor did Abraham, or any of the Patriarchs after him, think that this Promife had received its full Accomplishment in the Birth of Ifaac.

There are feveral Parts of God's Promise to Abraham, which must be diftinctly confidered, The firft Promife was more general; which was afterwards, upon feveral Occafions, explained by Parts. Gen. 12. 1, 2, 3. Now the Lord faid unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy Country, and from thy Kindred, and from thy Father's Houfe, unto a Land that I will hew thee: And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy Name great, and thou shalt be a Bleffing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curfe thee; and in thee fhall all the Families of the Earth be bleffed. After this, God more particularly promifes, That he would give the Land of Canaan to bis Seed, ver. 7. And, that he would multiply his Seed as the Duft of the Earth Gen. 13. 15, 16. After this he promises him Heir of his own Body, He that cometh forth out of thine own Bowels fhall be thine Heir, Gen. 15. 4. And fill he more particularly acquaints him, that he fhould have an Heir born of Sarah his Wife, and

that he would establish his Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant, and with his Seed after him, Gen. 17. 19. And, as a Reward of his Faith and Obedience in offering up his Son Ifaac, he renews his Covenant with him, to bless him exceedingly, and to multiply bis Seed: And now more particularly explains what he at first promised him, that in him all the Families of the Earth fhould be bleffed, by adding, in the laft place, that which was the End and Perfection of all these Promises, and whither they all tend; In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be bleffed. Which cannot relate, as St. Paul argues, to his whole Seed and Pofterity, but to fome certain Perfon, who in future Times fhould defcend from him. And therefore he tells us, That God in this Promife did preach the Gospel to Abraham : And that the Covenant with Abraham was confirmed of God in Christ, and, that he is the Seed to whom the Promife was made, Galat. 3. 8, 17, 19.

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And that this promised Seed, in whom all the Nations of the Earth fhould be bleffed, was not Ifaac, is evident from this; that God renews this Promise to Ifaac, Gen. 26. 3, 4. For unto thee and to thy Seed, I will give all these Countries, and I will perform the Oath which I fware unto Abraham thy Father, and I will make thy Seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven, and I will give unto thy Seed all thefe Countries, and in thy Seed fhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleffed. And this fame Promife God renewed again to Jacob at Bethel; In thee and in thy Seed fhall all the Families of the Earth he bleed, Gen. 28. 14. And we may obferve, that this is always the laft and finishing Claufe of God's Covenant with Avraham, Ifaac, and Jacob That, when this was accomplished, when this Promifed Seed was come, then God had

fully accomplished his Covenant with Abraham. And this external literal Covenant was to give Place to that new Covenant, which this promised Seed fhould make with all Mankind, and thereby bring the Bleffings of Abraham upon all the Nations of the Earth.

And therefore from this Time, the Prophets in their feveral Generations made mention of this promifed Seed under different Characters. Jacob in his prophetical Benediction of Judah, prophefies of him under the Name of Shiloh, Gen. 49. 10. Mofes under the Character of a Prophet, He was promifed to David as his Son, who should inherit his Throne for ever. And all the fubfequent Prophets foretel of the Reign of the Meffias, and his glorious and peaceful Government; and give fuch Characters of his Perfon, and Birth, and Miracles, and Life, and Death, and Refurrection, whereby he might be known when he appeared in the World, and whereby we certainly know, that Jefus was the promised Seed, the Son of Abraham and David. Now if the Appearance of Christ in the World for the Redemption of Mankind, be the final Accomplishment of God's Covenant with Abraham; this fufficiently proves, that it was a fpiritual Covenant, and principally relates to the fpiritual Bleffings of the Meffias; which are therefore exprefly called the Bleffings of Abraham, Galat. 3. 13, 14. And thus Zacharias in his prophetick Hymn makes the Birth of Chrift, and thofe Bleffings which he came to beftow upon the World, an Accomplishment of that Covenant and Promife God made to Abraham, Luke 1. 68, and following Verfes. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for be bath vifited and redeemed his people; and hath raifed up an born of Salvation for us in the House of bis Servant David; as be fake by the Mouth of his

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