Footsteps of the flock; a compilation of the history of God's people from the creation of the world to the present day, as found in sacred and profane history, church records, documents, &c.

Front matter

Class J3X<p_25_3

Book ._ JS 4>

Copyright^ '

Preface

Prompted by the belief that there is ,i need for such a book, I have compiled the following selections from Holy Writ, and from commentators, church works and historians, who as authority stand uncontradicted, pointing out the way by which God has led His people frorfc Ohe creation of man down to the present. Choosing from the above mentioned authorities only such matter as is pertinent and strictly to the point, and supplementing it with such explanations as I deem necessary, I have sought to make just such a brief but comprehensive and conclusive book, as the devout but busy Christian demands.

Having so extensively quoted from Dr. Gill's Commentaries on the Scriptures, it is perhaps necessary that I should give a sketch of his life. I therefore copy the following from his history:

"John Gill, son of Edward and Elizabeth Gill, was born in Northamptonshire, England, November, 23rd (O. S.), 1697.

"His parents were ! articular Baptist, and he became a member of that denomination. There has been two parties among the Antipeedobaptist in England ever since the beginning of the Reformation; those who have followed the Calvinistic scheme of doctrines, from the principal point therein, personal election, have been termed Particular Baptists, and those who have professed the Arminian or Remonstrants' tenents, have also from the chief of their doc-

IV PREFACE.

trines, universal redemption, been called General Baptists.

"In early life this wonderful youth developed extraordinary intellectual capacity for learning, and indifatigable energy in search of it.

"So great was his proficiency, erudition and scholarship that the Maristical University honored him with a diploma 'for his well known extraordinary proficiency in sacred literature, the original tongues and Jewish antiquities and those moral qualities which become and adorn a pious life.'

"His works are his expositions of the Old and New Testament, nine volumes, folio; Exposition of Canticles; The Cause of God and of Truth, each, one volume, quarto; and Sermons and Tracts, published after his death, in three volumes, quarto.

"The glorious termination of his life was without a sigh, or a groan, on the 14th day of October 1771, at about eleven o'clock a. m., at his residence in Camberwell, Surry, age 73 years, nine months and ten days."

See life of Dr. John Gill, 1st Vol. of his Commentaries.

From his voluminous, learned and most critical comments, I have made most of my extracts, using only such portions of them as I deem pertinent to this work, and designate them with quotation marks. All the other authors quoted from, have their names iriven.

In all instances the Scripture cited have the book, chapter and verse given,

J. K. B.

Contents

Pagk

CHAPTER 1. THK CREATION OK MAN . . 1 n

II. THE FALL OK MAN . . .11

III. POSTERITY INVOLVED IN THE FALL 33

IV. THE CALL OF ABRAHAM . . 43 V. GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM . 54

VI. RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT , 82

VII. HISTORY OF ISAAC .. . . 85

VIII. HISTORY OF JACOB . . 88

IX. HISTORY OF JOSEPH . . 100

X. THE LIFE OF MOSES . . . 109

XI. JOSHUA AND HIS SUCCESSORS . 137

XII. THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL . 141

XIII. LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRIST . 144

XIV. THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST - 148

XV. THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST . .154

XVI. THE TEMPIATION OF CHRIST . 159

XVII. CHRIST'S MINISTRY . . .166

XVIII. REGENERATION .... 177

XIX. ELECTION AND FINAL PRESER- VATION . . 190

XX. THE FLOCK . . . . 192

XXI. JUSTIFICATION .... 195 vi contents.

Page.

CiiAP. XXll. PREDESTINATION . . . 219

XXIV. OTHER APOSTOLIC WRITINGS . 229

XXV. FIRST CENTURY AFTEK CHRIST 241

XXVI. SECOND CENTURY AFTER CHRIST 252

XXV f I. EARLY REFORMERS . . 256

XXVIII. THE WALDENSES . . . 260

XXIX. THE DAWN OF THE REFORMATION 265

XXX. MARTIN LUTHER . , 269

XXXI. THE DOCTRINE OF THE REFORMERS 276

XXXTI. THE LONDON ARTICLES OF FAITH 277

XXXTIT. THE HoRSLEYDOWN CONFESSION 330

XXXIV. THE RISE OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 334

XXXV. THE PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIATION 340

XXXVI. THE KEHUKEE ASSOCIATION 351

XXXVII. THE KETOCTON ASSOCIATION 355

XXXVIII. BAPTIST MISSIONS IN AMERICA 359

XXXIX. THE BLACK ROCK CONVENTION 367

XL. RAPPAHANNOCK ASSOCIATION 386

XLI. THE EBKNEZER ASSOCIATION 388

XLII. THE F< OTPRINTS OF THE FJ.OCK

CHAPTER I.

THE CREATION OF MAX.

Gen. I. 26. And God said. Let us make man, in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creepiog thing that creepeth upon the earth.

"These words are spoken by God the Father to the Son and Holy Ghost, who were each of them concerned in the creation of all tilings, particularly man; because we read of divine Creators and Makers in the plural number. Job, xxxv. 10: But none s a i t h where is God my maker w h o giveth songs in the night. Psa. ciL, 2: Let Israel rejoiced in him that made him and let the children of Zion rejoice in their King — see Eccl. xn. 1. Philo the jew acknowledges that these words declare a plurality and are expressive of others being coworkers with God in creation; and man being the principal part of the creation, for whom the world and all things in it were made, which being finished, he is introduced into it as into a house ready prepared and furnished for him; a consultation is held among the Divine Persons about the formation of him; not because of any difficulty attending it, but as expressive of his honor and dignity: it being proposed he should be made, not in the likeness of any of the creatures already made, but as near as could be, in l the likeness and image of God. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of th* air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing 1hat crecpeth vpcn ihe earth".

Gen. I. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

"Which consisted both in the form of his body and erect stature of it; different from all other creatures and in agreement with the idea of that body, prepared in covenant for the Son of God. and which it was therein agreed he should assume in the fulness of time; and in the immortality of his soul, and in his intellectual powers, and in that purity, holiness, and righteousness in which he was created; as well as in his dominion, power and authority over the creatures, in which he was as God's vice-gerent and resembled him. In the image of God created he him; which is repeated for the certainty of it, that ir might be taken notice of, as showing man's superior glory and dignity to the rest of the creatures. 1 Cor. ix, 7. Male and female created he them; God first made man, or the male, out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into him the breath of life, and then made a female or woman, out of one of his ribs, who was presented to him as his wife. One male and one female were created, to show that hereafter a man was to have, at a time, but one wife — see Mai. xx, 15; Math. xx. 4."

Gen. I. 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air. and over every living thing that movetli upon the earth.

THE CREATION OF MAN. 6

"The man and the woman he had made, with all the blessings of nature and providence; with all the good things of life; with his presence and communion with him in a natural way, through the creatures and particularly with power of procreating theirspecies, as follows: and God said unto them be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth] if this is not an express command as the Jews understand it, for marriage and procreation of children, it seems to be more than a bare permission;at least it is a direction and an advice to what is proper and convenient for the increase of mankind, and for the filling of the earth with inhabitants, which was the end of its being made, Isa. xiv. 18. This shows that marriage is an ordinance of God, instituted in paradise and is honorable; and subdue it, the earth; not that it was in the hands of others, who had no right to it, and to conquer it, and take it out of their hands; but it is to be understood of their taking possession and making use of it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over everything that moveth upon the face of the earth; which was giving them an universal and unlimited dominion over all the creatures, of which see an inumeration in Psal. vin. 6, 7, 8".

Gen. I. 29. And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree. in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

"That is, to Adam and Eve, whom he had made in his image and likeness, and to whom he had given dominion of the earth and sea, and all things in them: behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth; every herb or plant, which had a seed in it, by which it sowed itself again or being taken off, might be sown by man, even every one that was wholesome, healthful and nourishing, without any exception whatever; in any part of the earth, be it where it wouid-.and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a ti ee yielding seed; all but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, afterwards excepted; both these take in all kinds of vegetables.herbs. plants roots, even corn, wheat, barley, peas, beans. &c.,and the various fruits of all sorts of trees, but that mentioned: to you it shall be for meat; which is generally thought to be the food of the Antediluvians, it not being proper, at least very soon, to kill any animals, until they were multiplied and increased, lest their species should be destroyed."

Gen, I. 30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creep- -eth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

"Wild or tame beast, the cattle upon a thousand hills; all God's creatures are provided for. 7 '

Gen. II. 7. And the Lord God formed man of the of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen. II. 8. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed

"And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; or had planted ; for this was not done after he had made man, bit before, and so the word translated eastward may be rendered, before, for the plain meaning is, God had planted a garden before he made man, even on the third day, when all herbs and plants and trees were produced out of the earth.

la

THE CREATION OF MAX. 5

The whole world was a garden in comparison of what it now is; what tlien must this spot of ground, this garden; have been, which was separated and distinguished from the r^st, and the more immediate plantation of God, therefore is called the garden of the Lord, Gen. xlii, 10; Ezek. xxm, 13. This garden was planted in the country of Eden."

Gen. II. 9. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

"That is out of the ground of the garden of Eden this was done on the third day, when the whole earth brought forth grass, herbs and trees; but a peculiar spot of ground was fixed on for man, and stocked with trees of all sorts for his use, not only to bear fruit, for his food, but others also which would yield him delight to look at, &c. These trees may be emblems of the saints, the trees of righteosness,the planting of the Lord; and made to grow by him through the influence of his Spirit and grace, whom he plants in his garden, the churches, and transplants into the heavenly paradise, and are often compared to palmtrees, cedars, olive trees. pomegranates, &c, The tree of life, also, in the midst of the garden; set there as the most excellent place, where it might be most conspicious, and to be 'come at, for before Adam sinned there was no prohibition to his eating of it, so there was no obstacle to it; and as he had a grant to eat of it, with the other trees, it was designed for his support, and maintainance of his natural life, which would have continued, had he persisted in his obediance and state of innocence, and probably by means of this chiefly; and it might be also a sign and token to to him of his dependence on God; that he received b FOOTSTEPS OF THE FLOCK.

his life from, and that he was preserved by his blessing and providence and not by his own power and skill, and that this would be continued, provided he transgressed not the divine law, and it seemed to have a future respect, even to eternal life by Christ, for though it might be a symbol of that life to Adam in his state of innocence, and it became so after his fall; hence Christ is sometimes signified by the tree of life. Prov. in, 18; Rev. Ii, 7, who is not only the author of natural and spiritual life, but the giver of eternal life the promise of it is in him, and the blessing itself; he has made way for it by his obedience, sufferings and death, and is the way unto it; it is his, his gift, and he bestows it on his people, and it will lie greatly in the enjoyment of him. The situation of this tree in the midst of the garden well agrees with him who is in the midst of his church and peo* pie, Rev. i, 13, and n, 7; stands open, is in sight, and accessible to all now, who may come to him, and partake of the fruits and blessings of his grace, which are many, constant and durable,Rev.xxu, 2, and who will be seen and enjoyed by all, to all eternity; and the tree of knoivledge of good and evil; so called, either with respect to God, who by it tried man, when he had made him, whether he would be good or evil, but this he foreknew; rather therefore with respect to man, not that the eating the fruit of it could really give him such knowledge, nor did it, for by the law of nature inscirbed on his heart, he knew the difference between good and evil, and that what God commanded vvas good, and what he forbid was evil, but either it had it's name from the virtue Satan ascribed to it, chap, in, 5, or from the sad event following on man's 1 eating the fruit of it; whereby he became experimentally sensible of the difference between good and evil, between obedience and disobedience to the will of

THE CREATION OF MAN. 7

Gcd; he found by sad experience what good he had lost, or might have enjoyed, and what evil he had brought upon himself and his posterity, and what evil he might have avoided."

Gen. II. 15. And Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.

"This is observed before in ver. 8, and is here repeated to introduce what follows; and is to be understood, not of a corporeal assumption, by a divine power lifting him up from the place where he was, but that he ordered and directed him thither; perhaps no more is intended by this expression, than that God spoke to him or impressed it on his mind, and inclined him to go, or stay thereto dress it and to keep it; so that it seems man was not to live an idle life in a state of innocence; but this could not be attended with toil and labor, with fatigue and trouble, with sorrow and sweat, as after the fall, but rather for recreation and pleasure; though what by nature was left to be improve 1 by art ami what there was for Adam to do, is not easy to say: at present there needed no plowing, nor sowing, nor planting, nor watering, since God had made every thing pleasant to the sight, and good for food, fro grow in it."

G2ji. II. 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.

"Commanded the man over whom he had power and authority, and he had a right to command him what he pleased, being his Creator, Benefactor and Preserver, and this ^.s to be understood not of man only, but of the woman also, whose creation, though related afterward, yet was before this grant to eat of all the trees of the garden but one, and the prohib tation of the fruit of that, for that she was in being

§ FOOTSTEPS OF THE FLOCK.

and present at this time, seems manifest firm chap, in. 2, 3: saying, of every tree of the garden thou may est freely eat; a very generous, large and liberal allowence this; or in eating than mayest eat; which was giving full power, and leaving them without any doubt-, and uncertainty about their food; which they might freely take and eat of, wherever they found it or were inclined to, even to any and every tree in the garden, excepting one, next forbidden."

Gen. II. 17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

"Of the name of this tree, and the reason of it, see the note on ver. 9: thou shalt not eat of it, not that this tree had any efficacy in it to increase knowledge, and improve in science and understanding as Satan suggested God knew, and therefore .forbid the eating of it out of envy to man, which the divine Being is incapable of, or that there was anything hurtful in it to the bodies of men, if they had eaten of it, or that it was unfawful and evil of itself, if it had not been expressly prohibited, but was previous to this injunction, a quite indifferent thing whether man ate of it or no, and therefore was pitched upon as a trial of man's obedience to God, under whose government he was, and whom it was fit he should obey in all things, and since he had a grant of all the trees of the garden but this, it was the greater aggravation of his offence that he should not abstain from it: for in the clay thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die; or in dying, die; which denotes the certainty of it, as our version expresses it, and may have regard to more deaths than one; not only a corporeal one, which in some sense immediately took place; man became at once a mortal creature, who otherwise continuing in a state of innocence, and by eating of

THE CREATION OF MAN. V

the tree of life, "as allowed to do, would have

lived an immortal life; by the eating of which tree, sinning, he was debarred, his natural life, not now to be continued long, at least not forever; he was immediately arraigned, tried and condemned to death, was found guilty of it, and became obnoxious to it, and death at once began to work in him, sin sowed the seeds of it in his body, and a train of miseries, affliction and diseases, began to appear, which at length issued in death. Moreover a moral death immediately ensued; he lost his original righteousness, in which he was created, the image of God in him was deformed; and the powers and faculties of his soul were corrupted, and he became dead in trespasses the consequence of which, had it not been for the interposition of a Surety and Saviour, who engaged to make satisfaction to law and justice, must have been eternal death, or an everlasting separation from God, to him and all his posterity; for the wages of sin is death eternal." See Rom vi. 23.

Gen, II. 18. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help-meet for him

" Not at the same time he gave the above direction and instruction to man, how to behave according to his will, but before that, even at the formation of Adam; which he said either to him or with himself; it was a purpose or determination of his own mind, and may be rendered, he had said, on the sixth day, on which man was created, it is not good that man should be alone; not pleasant and comfortable to himself, nor agreeable to his nature, being a social creature. I will make him an help=meet for him, one to help himan all the affairs of life, not only for the propagation of his species, but to provide things useful and comfortable for him, to dress his food and

10 FOOT STEPS THOFE FLOCK.

take care of the affairs of the family; one like himself in nature, in temper and disposition, pleasing in his s-i^ht, with whom he could converse and be entirely agreeable to him, and answerable to all his wants."

Gen. II. 19. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air;and brought them unto Adam, to see what he would c ill them; an I whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."

Gen. II. 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowls of the air, and to every beast of the fieli;but for Aiin tii^r^ wj,4 un founi an help meet.

Gen. II. 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof.

Gen. II, 22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, mide he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

"It is commonly observed, and pertinently enough, that woman was not made from the superior part of man, that she might be thought to be above him, and have power over him; nor from any inferior part, as being below him, to be trampled on by him. but out of his side, and from one of his ribs, that she might appear equal to him; and from a part near his heart, and under his arm, to show that she should be affectionately loved by him, and be always under his care and protection; and she was not created as man, out of nothing, nor formed as Adam was, out of the dust of the earth, being in the same form of man; but made out of refined and quickened dust, or the flesh and bones of man, and so in her make and constitution, fine and lovely: and brought her unto the nun; he brought her as the parent of her, at whose disposal she was, and presented her to Adam as his spouse, to be taken into conjugal relation with him, and to be loved and cherished by; which, as it affords a rule and example to be followed by parents and children, one to dispose of their children in marriage, and the other to have the consent of the parent in it, as well as it is a recommendation of marriage, as agreeable to the divine will, and to be esteemed honorable, being of God; so it was a type of the marriage of Christ, the second Adam, between him and his church, which sprung from him, from his side, and was given by hii* Father— see Eph. v. 29, 32."

Chapter II. The Fall Of Man

Gen. III. 1. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made; And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden ?

"Many instances are given of the subtlely of the serpent, in hiding their heads when struck at, rolling themselves up, stopping their ears at the voice of the charmer, putting off their skins, laying in sand of the same color with themselves, &c, but it does not appear by these, to be any more subtle than any other creature, at first creation. The words may be rendered, that serpent; that particular serpent of which so much is spoken of afterwards; or the serpent was become or made more subtle: that is, not naturally, but through Satan being in it; and using it in a very subtle manner, to answer his purpose, and gain his point; for though a real serpent and not the mere form of one is mmnt,as is cle ir from this account. and the curse ifterw mispronounced on it, yet not that oily, but as possessed and used by Satan, as an instrument of his, to accomplish his designs, as is evident from its having the faculty of speech, and the use of reason, employed in a very artful manner, nor is it rational to suppose that humanity in the height of its glory and excellency, should be outwitted, and seduced by a creature so inferior to it; besides, the scriptures always ascribe the seduction of man to the devil; who, because he acted his deceitful part, in and by the serpent, is called the serpent, the old serpent, S itan. 2 Cor. xr, 3; Riv. xix, 9."

Gen. Ill, 2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the trees fruit of theof the garden.

"The woman said unto the serpent, or to him that spoke in the serpent, which she might take to be a messenger from heaven, a holy angel; had she known who it was, she might be chargeable with imprudence in giving an answer, and carrying on a conversion with him, and yet supposing this, she might have a goud design in her answer; partly to set the matter in true light, and assert what was truth and partly to set forth the goodness and liberality of God, in the large provission he had made, and generous grant he had given them: we may eat of the fruit of all the trees of the garden; of every one, which is to be understood, except the one after mentioned; so far are we from being debarred from eating of any, which the speech of the serpent might imply, that they were allowed to eat of what they pleased, but one."

Gen. HI, 3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

"This tree stood near the tree of life, as is highly probable, since that it is described in the same situation, chap, ji, 9; she does not give it a name, which perhaps was not yet given it; she was not acquainted with it, its name in the preceeding chapter being by anticipation, and most likely obtained its name from the event, and as yet was without one. God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Here the woman is charged by some, with adding to, and taking from the law of God; if so must have sinned heinously, before she eat of the fruit, but neither of them are correct: not the former by her saying, neither shall ye touch it, though not expressed in the prohibition, is implied, such as toughing the fruit, as plucking it off the tree, taking it in the hand and putting it to the mouth, in order to eat it; nor the latter, by the words, lest ye die, or perhaps ye die; as was a matter of doubt, when it was most strongly asserted; for the word used is not always understood of doubting, but of the event of a thing: see Psa. ii. 12, and may be rendered that ye die not; which would certainly be the case should they pluck the fruit and eat of it."

Gen. Ill, 4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

"In direct contradiction to the divine threatening, as if God never intended to put it into excution; so that they had nothing to fear from that; God would never be so rigid and severe, and hard upon them as to put them to death for such an offence, if it was one; he only gave out the menace to frighten them and deter them from it; however, at most, it was not a certain thing they should die, and they might safely couclude they would not."