Sadducees; insomuch that "not one of them dared to put any other question to hime."]
Let us proceed to consider the quotation,
II. As declaring the believer's privileges —
All that the passage implied in reference to the patriarchs, it implies in reference to believers in every age. It implies,
1. That a relation subsists between God and them —
[The covenant which God made with Abraham was ex- pressly made also with all his spiritual seed1. His natural seed, as such, had no part in them : neither Ishmael nor Esau had any share in this covenant : it was confined, in the first instance, to him who was born after the promise ; and after- wards to those who, like him, should be born of the Spirit8. Amongst these, the true believer is numbered, though he should have no relation to Abraham after the flesh. This is asserted by St. Paul in the plainest terms h, and consequently, every believer stands in the very same relation to God that Abraham himself did. Hear this, all ye who believe in Christ ; every one of you may adopt the words of David, and say, " O God, thou art my God :" and, in saying this, you may claim all God's perfections to be exercised for you, as much as ever they were exercised for the patriarchs of old.]
2. That covenant-blessings are provided for them —
[In the covenant were conveyed all spiritual and eternal blessings to those with whom it was made1 : and if we believe in Christ, they all belong to usk. In the present life we have a portion infinitely superior to that of the mere worldling : all that he feeds upon is as husks, in comparison of that heavenly manna which the saints partake of; they have " angels' food," " a peace that passeth understanding, a joy unspeakable and glorified." Whilst " the Egyptians were involved in darkness, the Israelites had light in their dwellings." But " who can conceive what God hath prepared for them" in a better world? Were they possessed of no better portion than what they have here, he would be ashamed to call himself their God : but St. Paul says, " He is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city1." If then we truly belong to Christ, we may adopt the triumphant language of the Apostle, " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ™."]
e Luke xx. 39, 40. ' Gen. xvii. 7, 8. e Gal. iv. 22, 23, 30, 31. h Gal. hi. 7—0. i Gen. xii. 2, 3. k Gal. iii. 13, 14.
1 Heb. xi. 16. m Eph. i. 3.