4. Places of doctrine.
1. Doct. Of beleeving God and in God.
Vers. 6. ABraham beleeved the Lord, &c. in the Hebrew (in the Lord) yet that common distinction, of beleeving God, and in God, though there be a difference betweene them, is not grounded up∣on the phrase of Scripture, which indifferently useth both these for one, especially in the new Testament: as Ioh. 5.14. He that beleeveth him that sent me, hath eternall life, 1 Ioh. 5.10. He that beleeveth in the sonne of God, &c.
2. Doct. That the starres cannot be numbred.
Vers. 5. TEll the starres if thou be able to number them, &c. Hence then it may well be enforced, that the starres cannot be numbred: as the Prophet Ieremy saith, 33.22. as the army of heaven cannot be numbred, nor the sand of the sea measured▪ so will I multiply the seed of David: the starres then can be no more numbred, than the sand of the sea measured: and therefore this is set forth as a worke peculiar unto God: which counteth the number of starres, Psal. 147.4. Wherefore Aratus and Eudoxus were deceived, which thought they did comprehend the number of the starres: and the common Astronomers, that hold there there are not above a 1022. starres to bee seene in the sky: for if it were so, it had beene an unfit compari∣son, Page 151 to liken the multitude of Israel, which amounted to more than 600. thousand, Exod. 2.37. to the stars. Deut. 10.22. August. lib. 16. de civit. dei c. 23. R. Levi thinketh, that in Abrahams time the starres were not numbred, but afterwards they were by Astronomers: but neither then nor since could they ever bee numbred as hath beene shewed.
3. Doct. Word and Sacraments must be joyned together.
Vers. 18. IN that same day the Lord made a covenant. &c. Here the word and promises is annexed to the signe preceding: whereby we learne that the word and sacraments should bee joyned to∣gether: Calvin.
