First, It is said that Abraham hereupon should be “ a blessing :” na mn, “ And thou shalt be a blessing ;’—‘ Not only blessed thy- self’ (which is expressed in the former words, “I will bless thee”), ‘but the means of conveying blessings, the great blessing, unto others.’ And how was this done in and by Abraham? In his own person he conversed with but few of them, unto some whereof, through their own sins, he was an occasion of punishment; as to the Egyptians, chap. xii, 17, and to the Philistines, chap, xx. 4, 7. Some he destroyed with the sword, chap. xiv. 15; and he was not in any thing signally a bless- ing unto any of them. So his posterity extirpated sundry nations from the face of the earth, were a scourge unto others, and occasioned the ruin of many more. He must needs, then,.be made a blessing unto the world on some other account; and this can be nothing but that he was separated to be the peculiar channel by which the promised blessing, the Seed, should be brought forth into the world.
Secondly, It is said that “all the families of the earth should be blessed in him,” chap. xi. 3; that is, not in his person, but in his seed, asit is expounded chap. xxii. 18,—that is, in the promised Seed that should come of him; chap. xii. 8, 9723, “shall be blessed,” in the passive conjugation of Niphal, referring solely unto the grace and favour of God in giving the Seed; chap. xxii. 18, 92239, in Hith- pael, so blessed in the Seed, when exhibited, as that they shall come for the blessing by faith; and, so in him obtaining it, bless themselves. And this is spoken of “all families, all nations,” the posterity of Adam
SECT. 30. | PROMISED OF OLD. 179
in general. They were all cursed in Adam, as hath been declared; and God here promiseth that they shall be blessed in the seed of Abraham, and by him the Seed of the woman. And this blessing must inwrap in it all the good things whereof by the curse they were deprived, or it will be of no use or benefit unto them; a blessing, in- deed, it will not be. For a while he intended to leave mankind to walk in their own ways; partly that he might show his severity against sin; partly that he might evidence the sovereignty and un- deserved freedom of that grace wherein he had provided a Deliverer; and partly that they might try and experiment their own wisdom and strength in searching after a way of deliverance. But in this promise was the ore laid up, which, after many generations, was brought forth and stamped with the image of God.
Thirdly, The curse unto Satan is here again renewed: “J will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse H1M that curseth thee.” The blessing is to many; but the curse respecteth one principally, that is, Satan, as the Scripture generally expresseth the opposite apostate power under that name. Neither is there any just cause of the variation of the number, unless we look on the words as a pur- suit of the first promise, which was accompanied with an especial malediction on Satan, who acts his enmity in all obloquy and curs- ing against the blessed Seed and those that are blessed therein. And this change of the number in these words is observed by Aben Ezra; n> 75pm; nxn P2729 ,—“‘ ‘ They that bless thee,’ many; ‘He that curseth,’ one ;” as though many should bless, and few curse, the contrary whereof is true. And Baal Hatturim: :o7 pw> pr20 sn pwd qopn,—“ “They that bless thee,’ in the plural number; ‘He that curseth thee,’ in the singular.” And an interpretation is given of the last words becoming those annotations, which are immeasurably Judaical, that is, sottish and superstitious: oyds snmna. ass opp 132 $$p5 wan,—“<‘ He that curseth thee, I will curse ;’—that is, by gematry, ‘ Balaam, that cometh to curse thy sons;’” the numeral letters of each making up 422: of which fantastical work amongst some of them there is no end. But one single person (in which way Satan is usually spoken of) they saw to be intended; which is passed over, as far as I have observed, by Christian expositors.
30. After the giving of this promise, the whole Old Testament beareth witness that a person was to be born, of the posterity of Abraham,.in and by whom the nations of the earth should be saved; that is, delivered from sin and curse, and made eternally happy. ‘Abraham himself died without one foot of an inheritance in this world, nor did he concern himself personally in the nations of the earth beyond his own family; another, therefore, is to be looked for in whom they may be blessed. And this we must further de- monstrate, to evince the perverseness of the Jews, who exclude all
a
180 MESSIAH, THE DELIVERER FROM EVIL, [EXERO. VIII.
others besides themselves from an interest in these promises made to Abraham, at least unless they will come into subjection unto them and dependence upon them; so high conceits have they yet of them- selves in their low and miserable condition! The next time, there- fore, that he is mentioned in the Scripture, it is said, DY2Y NIP i, “To him shall be the gathering of the peoples,” Gen. xlix. 10; con- cerning which place we must, treat afterwards at large. The people of the world, distinct from Judah, shall gather themselves unto him ; that is, for safety and deliverance, or to be made partakers of the promised blessing.