To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Verse 17.As it is written, I haue made thee a Father of many Nations, euen before God, whom he beleeued, who quickened the dead, and called those thinges which bee not as though they were.
WHat things be contained in this Text?
Foure thinges: First, hee proueth by the
word of the promise, that Abraham is the father of belee∣uing Gentiles, (as it is written.) Secondly, hee she weth how and in what manner he is their father (before God.) Thirdly, he commendeth Abrahams faith in respect of that* 1.1 whereunto it leaned (which is God himselfe.) Lastly, God is described by two effects, impossible to art or nature: First, quickning the dead, secondly, calling thinges which were not, as though they were; here is the second mayne part of this chapter, namely a degression into the praise of Abraham.
From whence is the authority fetched, which is here brought to proue the beleeuing Gentiles to bee Abrahams chil∣dren?
Out of Genesis 17. 5. which Oracle contayneth the Etymology or notation of Abrahams name.
What is here meant by many nations?
All such as should beleeue, of what nation or people soeuer they were.
In what sence is Abraham called their father?
First, because he was a patterne of faith to all belee∣uers. Secondly because he was a teacher of that saith, be∣ing a Prophet, Gene. 20. 7. Thirdly and chiefly, because all beleeuers haue fellowship with Abraham in those pro∣mises concerning the Messias, which were made to him.
But how came Abraham by this honour, to bee the fa∣ther of all beleeuers?
By the vertue of Gods free promise, beeing belee∣ued by him; therefore Abraham had not this honour by workes.
But how and in what manner is Abraham the father of all beleeuing people?
That is expressed in these words [before God] which wordes bee taken diuers wayes of interpreters: some ex∣pound* 1.2 it thus, (before God) that is to say (as God is, or after the example of God, who is father of all people, Gen∣tiles as well as Iewes;) so is Abraham a father. Some againe expound it thus, (before God) that is, so he is a fa∣ther
as the fatherhoode of Abraham cannot bee vnder∣stood by mans reason, but by the Spirit of God. But these words (before God) are to bee vnderstoode of a spirituall kindred, such as hath place before God, in his sight and ac∣count, and maketh vs accepted in his sight: there is great necessity hereof, because sithence the blessing of sauing health is contayned and shut within the seed of Abraham, therefore wee must bee Abrahams Children according to faith, that we may be partakers of life eternall.
What is the instruction from hence?
That the Iewes which are Abrahams children onely according to the flesh by carnall generation, are not so precious in Gods sight, as the Gentiles which beleeue; for these are properly children and heires of heauenly Ca∣naan, where of the earthly was but a type and a shadow.
What is that whereunto Abrahams faith doth leane?
It is God whome hee beleeued; now to beleeue God is not only to giue credit to his word, but to put con∣fidence in his mercifull promises; for faith cannot find any stay vntill it come to God, because hee onely is infinite in power, as well as in trueth and goodnes; for hee alone can produce a beeing out of a-not-beeing, and restore life to things dead.
What testimony did God giue to Abraham of his in∣finite power and omnipotency?
Vnto the persons of Abraham and Sarah, who in re∣spect of generation were as good as dead; for she was both barren, aged, and past bearing, and hee was an hundered yeare olde: so as there was in reason as much hope of the dead to engender, as of them. This of quickning the dead may be stretched further, euen to the particular raysing of some who were naturally dead, as Lazarus and others, as also to the generall resurrection of the dead at the last day, in both which respects God doth quicken the dead: also the Saints while they liued, haue had often experience of this effect of Gods power; namely, that being often (as it were) dead in their owne opinions by greate sicknesse
or very perillous daungers, they haue beene sud∣denly and mightily reuiued, as Daniel in the den, Isaac on the Mount Moriah, Ioseph in the pit, Moyses in the water, and Peter on the water: nay further, this hath also place euen in soule cases, for while some that haue thought themselues no better then dead and lost men, in respect of their many and fearfull sinnes, haue yet bin quickned by Gods mighty grace, and restored to hope, as Iob, Dauid, and others. Lastly, in order of Nature, this hath place: for we yearely see thinges, as Hearbes, Plantes, and other creatures dead in winter, reuiued in the spring time.
Whereunto should this serue?
To teach the godly in their greatest extreami∣tics, to fixe the eye of their minde vpon Gods Almigh∣tinesse, that they may haue comfort, knowing that they haue to do with a God, that can say to the dead, Liue, & they shall liue: Also, to ground all their prayers vppon his power, as the chiefe prop of faith.
Whereunto do ye refer that which followeth, of calling things which are not, as though they were?
Vnto the Gentiles, which of no people were made a people by Gods especiall calling. These words haue yet a larger sence, for God fulfilled them in the first creation, wherein by his word onely, hee made all things of nothing: also he daily fulfilleth them in the re∣generation of the elect, who before being not beloued, are now beloued. Hos. 2. 23.
What may we note from hence?
The easinesse of creating and regenerating, which with God is no harder for vs then to cal a man to vs, or to call any thing by the name. Wee see also what an effectuall calling is, a powerfull woorking, causing persons to be what they were not; of enemies and sin∣ners, sonnes of God and righteous.
A digression into the praise of A∣braham and his faith.
Non 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more, sed dei exemplo, vt Chrysost.