QUEST. XXII. Whether the promises here made are new, or the old renewed.

Vers. 18. IN thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 1. It is of all hands confessed, that the other three promises were made unto Abraham before. 1. That Abraham should be blessed, Genes. 12.2. 2. That his seed should be multiplied as the starres, and as the sand of the sea, Genes. 13.16. 3. That his seed should possesse the gate of his enemies, which is in effect the same with that Genes. 13.12. all this land will I give thee, &c. God promised Abraham the land of the Canaanites, which were his enemies. 2. But Ambrose thinketh that this was a new blessing, containing a promise of the Messiah; lib. 1. de Abra∣ham c. 8. Paulus Burgensis confirmeth the same by these reasons; because Saint Paul rehearseth this as a speciall blessing concerning Christ, urging these words, in thy seed, which are onely found here; and the Lord confirmeth this by an oath, as Zachary in his song maketh mention of this oath, which hee sware to our father Abraham, Luke 1.73. 3. But these reasons are easily answered; 1. Saint Paul citeth, rather that promise made, Genes. 12.3. in thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed, Galath. 3.8. for hee speaketh of that pro∣mise which was made 430. yeares before the law, which must needs be that former given to Abraham at the 75. yeare of his age; but there will want 50. yeares of that summe, if the account should begin at this time, when Abraham was 125. yeares old; And whereas Saint Paul also alludeth unto this place, v. 16. and thy seed; and so expoundeth one place by another, he sheweth, that in effect, they are both but one promise. 2. The adding of the oath, maketh it not a new promise, but confirmeth onely the former; otherwise by this reason, all these promises should be newly made, seeing the oath goeth before them all; and indeed not onely this promise of the Messiah, but the other also concerning the possessing of the land of Canaan was ratified by an oath, Exod. 13.5. Perer. 4. Wherefore here is no other promise made to Abraham, but such as he had heard before; but the same more amply and fully confirmed by an oath, and againe renued both to Abraham and Isaack: in which two respects, this promise is more ex∣cellent than the former, Calvin.