THE THREEFOLD SEED OF ABRAHAM.

THE God of glory appeared unto Abraham when he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia, and said unto him, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." (Gen. xii. 1.) It will be observed, it is not said unto a land I will give thee, for it was not given to Abraham while in his native country; the land is not even described to him, nor are its superior advantages and capabilities enumerated, but it is briefly stated, "Unto a land that I will shew thee." And Abraham obeyed and went out, not knowing whither he went. (Heb. xi. 8.) At length he arrived at the land of Canaan, and the Lord appeared unto him and said, " Unto thy seed will I give this land." (Gen. xii. 7.) This is the first time the seed of Abraham is mentioned in the Scriptures, and it is in connection with the gift of the land. The second time the seed of Abraham is mentioned was after his separation from Lot. (Gen. xiii. 14 17.) "All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."

Abraham had been in the land about ten years, and as yet had no offspring, when the third time the Lord appeared unto him and brought him forth abroad and said, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Gen. xv. 5, 6.) It will be observed, a new figure of illustrating the countless number of Abraham's seed is here employed by God. Abraham is bid look toward heaven, to objects bright and glorious, well calculated to absorb his thoughts and to induce the most pleasing contemplations, and God said unto him, "So shall thy seed be." On the perusal of these passages the questions one would naturally ask are, Do all these three seeds apply to one and the same seed? Or do they mean three several distinct seeds, of which this distinguished patriarch was the honoured father? One would imagine the most cursory reader would directly determine them to have been three several distinct seeds, according to the context of the passages in question. We know from the Scriptures Abraham is said to be the father of three different seeds. Christ is his seed. The Jewish nation is declared to be his seed; and believers in Christ are called the children of Abraham. Let us then definitely present to our minds the threefold seed of Abraham. First, the Lord Jesus Christ as to His human nature; secondly, the Jewish nation, which for distinction sake we will call the earthly family; and thirdly, the Church, or, more generally, the heavenly family.

We think it can be shown the three passages before us apply to these different seeds of Abraham in the order here stated.

Let us briefly give our attention to these several Scriptures where the seeds are first mentioned. And first, Gen. xii. 7, "Unto thy seed will I give this land."

This first declaration of gift of the land to the seed of Abraham by

the Lord was extraordinary, as well as the laconic and emphatic way in which it was enunciated, and can only be accounted for on the ground the seed would be pre-eminent, and in dignity far superior to the father. Natural expectation would have suggested that as Abraham had been so prompt in obeying the divine command to leave his country and his kindred, and had travelled so many miles to reach the land God would show him, the land as a reward would first have been given to him, and then to his seed after him; besides, the usages of men in devising their lands would justify this course, and it is actually observed by God Himself (Gen. xiii. 15), when the gift of the land was made the second time, "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever," and the context unmistakeably demonstrates the seed to have been the earthly family of Abraham, so that here the patriarch as the possessor is placed before his posterity. In the passage we are considering it was not so, but simply declared, "Unto thy seed will I give this land; " that is, to Abraham's as yet unborn seed, and to the father he gave none inheritance, no, not so much as to set his foot on, and for years he sojourned in it as a stranger. This goes to prove that the seed of Gen. xii. 7 cannot be the same as the seed of Gen. xiii. 15, neither is it the same as the seed of Gen. xv. 5, for to this last seed God gave no land at all; therefore all three seeds are different and distinct one from the other, and we think we are safe in assuming the seed of Gen. xii. 7 was pre-eminent, and was intended to apply to the future Messiah, the Immanuel, God with us. The land is declared to be Immanuel's land. "The stretching out of His wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel" (Isa. viii. 8); and again, Isa. ix. 6, 7,“ Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Again, it is declared (Matt. i. 21), "His name is Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins ;" and in the same chapter His genealogy proves Him to have been the seed of Abraham.

Again, the word seed (Gen. xii. 7) is in the singular number, but in both Gen. xiii. 15, and xv. 5, it is obviously used in the plural number; and for this reason, also, in neither of the two latter can the seed apply to Christ, while in the first "He said not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and unto thy seed which is Christ" (Gal. iii. 16); and to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, that is, they were all made to Abraham in Christ. All the promises of God are yea and amen to the glory of God by Abraham, as well as to the glory of God by us. (2 Cor. i. 20.) Take away Christ, and Abraham was nothing; take away Christ, and the Church will have lost its Head; take away Christ, and the nation would be without its King, and then it would be impossible the nations of the earth could be blessed in Him. It is, moreover, declared of this seed (Gen. xxii. 17), "He shall possess the gate of His enemies." This is spoken of the seed in His death and resurrection, of which the ram and Isaac of the chapter were types.

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By death He went through its gate, and also through the gate of hades. (Acts ii. 23-27.) In resurrection He returned again through these gates, taking, in almighty power, forced possession of their keys. (Acts ii. 28-36; Rev. i. 18.) Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in Himself. (Col. ii. 15.) And next He was exalted to the right hand of the Father in the highest heavens; far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come, and all things are to be put under His feet. (Eph. i. 20-22.) The expression "He shall possess the gate of His enemies," does not necessarily imply their destruction at the same time or in the same way; it is merely a glowing declaration of His invincible power and rightful authority founded on His death and resurrection. One that possesses the gate of his enemies may safely leave the question of their destruction, since they are absolutely under his control, to his own option and convenience, to be accomplished how and when he pleases. In reality we believe the whole passage, "I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of His enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. xxii. 17, 18), looks forward to the millennial age, when the Lord Jesus will reign. Hence, in "I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven," we have a glimpse of the Church with its Head in the heavenly glory; in "I will multiply thy sced as the sand upon the sea-shore," we have a view of the happy Jewish nation, with Messiah their King in the earthlies, so as to be the glory of all nations. Christ will then have demonstrated to the universe He possesses the gate of His enemies, and then will be the time when all the nations of the earth will be blessed in Him.

Let us now proceed to Gen. xiii. 14-17, where the seed of Abraham is mentioned the second time in the Scriptures; and it may be remarked, this interview between the Lord and Abraham was after his separation from Lot, and after the patriarch had so nobly distinguished himself in his overtures to Lot for the suppression of the strife between their herdmen. These condescending and disinterested overtures would have become Lot if they had emanated from him, as the younger of the two, and as the nephew of the former, and as the less distinguished of God. It is expressly stated, after that Lot was separated from him, the Lord said unto him, "Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if any man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee." This so obviously refers to Abraham and the Jewish nation, that it will need

no comment.

It now only remains for us to consider the Scripture where the seed of Abraham is expressed the third time (Gen. xv. 5), “So shall thy seed be." Abraham is bid to look toward heaven, and tell the stars if he were able, and God said unto him, "So shall thy seed be." Abraham had just defeated the confederacy of the

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kings, and, coming back victorious, he is met by Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, with bread and wine for the refreshment of himself and his men. Melchizedek was both king and priest-king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God. His name signifies righteousness, and Salem means peace, so that in a word he might be pronounced to have been the righteous peaceful king, and priest of the Most High God. It is stated, moreover, "He was made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually " (Heb. vii. 3); while of Christ it is asserted, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent; thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Ps. cx. 4.) So that we may conclude Melchizedek and Christ were patterns of one another. Melchizedek was His pattern, as the Son of God in the past eternity of His being, and in the power of His endless life; hence all account of his ancestry and posterity is purposely excluded from the written word, that he might more effectually illustrate the Son of God in His divine nature, while Christ as the God-man is made a priest for ever after his order, to show what will be the character of His ministry, when as the righteous peaceful King and Priest He will attain universal empire. When our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, His office as Priest was necessarily preparatory; and even now He is in heaven, it is ministered after Aaronic pattern, though He never was less and never will be less than Priest after Melchizedek order; but when He leaves His Father's throne, and takes possession of His own throne, His priesthood after Aaronic pattern will merge into that of Melchizedek pattern, and the redeemed in heaven who are joint-heirs with Him in His inheritance and kingdom, and who will reign with Him, are declared to be kings and priests, that is, in Melchizedek order and pattern, as blessed of God with royal distinction, and yet universal blessers of men.

The superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood to the Aaronic is illustrated by seven particulars in Hebrews, 7th chapter, which we cannot now stay to detail. "Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and said, Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." There is no proof to show in the previous revelations of God to the patriarch, that he had gone beyond the range of earthly things, but in this blessing a new feature of the greatness of the Most High God is introduced; He is possessor of heaven as well as earth, and that it was as possessor of heaven and earth He had delivered Abraham's enemies into his hand, and that he now stood blessed of Him. This more than all the previous revelations of God, produced in Abraham's mind the most exalted conceptions of Him, as may be gathered from his answer to the king of Salem, "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine."

It was while in this state of mind the Lord came to him in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abraham, I am thy shield, I, the possessor of heaven and earth, and as such I am thy exceeding great reward."

At the same time the question of Abraham's promised seed was suggested, and the Lord brought him forth abroad, and said, “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them

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and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness." There will be no occasion to take up further time in proof that this passage is the foundation Scripture to illustrate the spiritual seed of Abraham, that will eventually occupy the heavenly places, since in the New Testament it is satisfactorily corroborated, both in Rom. iv. 3, and Gal. iii. 6, where this text is quoted. The apostle Paul so largely dwells upon it, in a way of explanation, as to remove all doubt on this subject.

We think from these brief remarks it is clear there was from the first in the mind of God a purpose to distinguish Abraham in his threefold seed, of which the first mention (Gen. xii. 7), applies to Christ; the second (Gen. xiii. 15), to the Jewish nation, or earthly people; and the third (Gen. xv. 5), to the Church, or, more generally, to the heavenly family. And if the proof here be satisfactory, then it is imperative on us not to confound in our interpretation of the Scriptures the things which by God Himself were originally communicated with such distinctness to the renowned patriarch Abraham, who, by way of eminence, is declared to be the father of us all. Sidmouth.

PAUL HAYMAN.

THE REDEEMER COME TO ZION.

BY T. GEORGE BELL, LL.D.

MOUNT Zion in Jerusalem remained in the hands of the Jebusites all the time of Saul's reign over Israel, and up to the period when David was established in his kingdom. We read in 2 Samuel v., "David took the stronghold of Zion: the same is the city of David." Also, "So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David." David is a type of the Christ. David and his city, in some points of view, may be said to represent Christ and His Church. But let us see that, whilst we speak of a foreshadowing of the Church in the mention of this city, we forget not the primary and literal application to the city itself. The Redeemer will have come to Zion, speaking figuratively, when the whole Church complete shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. If we speak, however, of the literal things set forth in various passages of Scripture, we say, most confidently say, that like as God has purposes yes to accomplish in connection with His people Israel, so He has yet many wonderful things to bring about for Jerusalem and the literal Zion-the city of David. The Redeemer of Israel, who is David's great antitype, will come to that city-to the very place taken by David, for the deliverance of His people Israel. He will come in the hour of their greatest extremity, when besieged by Antichrist and his confederate kings and their armies, and then His feet shall stand upon the mount of Olives, as we read in the prophet Zechariah. It is from Zion that His cry will go forth to His ancient people: Turn, O backsliding children, for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion." The third and fourth chapters of Malachi are very important in regard

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