A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

As I observed before, God called Abraham, that his family and posterity might be kept separate from the rest of the world, till Christ should come, which God saw to be necessary on the forementioned accounts. And this sacrament was the principal wall of separation; it chiefly distinguished Abraham's seed from the world, and kept up a distinction and separation more than any other particular observance whatsoever.

As I observed before, God called Abraham, that his family and posterity might be kept separate from the rest of the world, till Christ should come, which God saw to be necessary on the forementioned accounts. And this sacrament was the principal wall of separation; it chiefly distinguished Abraham's seed from the world, and kept up a distinction and separation more than any other particular observance whatsover.

Besides this, there were other occasional seals, pledges, and confirmations, that Abraham had of this covenant; as, particularly, God gave Abraham a remarkable pledge of the fulfilment of the promise he had made him, in his victory over Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him. Chedorlaomer seems to have be•• a great emperor, that reigned over a great part of the world at that day; and though he had his seat at Elam, which was not much if any thing short of a thousand miles distant from the land of Canaan, yet he extended his empire so as to reign over many parts of the land of Canaan, as appears by chap▪ xiv.4.5.6.7. It is supposed ⟨p. 45⟩by learned men, that he was a king of the Assyrian empire at that day, which had been before begun by Nimrod at Babel. A• it was the honour of kings in those days to build new cities […] be made the seat of their empire, as appears by Gen. x.10.11.12.• so it is conjectured, that he had gone forth and built him a city […] Elam, and made that his seat; and that those other kings, who came with him, were his deputies in the several cities and countries where they reigned. But yet a mighty an empire […] he had, and as great an army as he now came with into the land where Abraham was, yet Abraham, only with his trained servants, that were […] in his own house, conquered, subdued, and baffled this mighty emperor, and the kings that came with him, and all their army. This he received of God as a pledge of what he had promised, viz. The victory that Christ his seed should obtain over the nations of the earth, whereby he should possess the gates of his enemies. It is plainly spoken of as such in the 41st of Isaiah. In that chapter is foretold the future glorious victory the church shall obtain over the nations of the world; as you may see in the 1st, 10th, and 15th verses, &c. But here this victory of Abraham over such a great emperor and his mighty forces, is spoken of as a pledge and earnest of this victory of the church, as you may see in 2d and 3d verses. "Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that be had not gone with his feet."