nothing; and effectually calling things that were not yet, as if they were or had a beeing; to which Omnipo∣tent Truth when Abraham believed, his Faith put on a kind of similitude to the Truth of God Almighty.
Vers. 18. Who against hope believed in hope, that hee might become the Father of many Nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy Seed bee.
Reason 3. Because Abraham believed in Spiritual hope, i. e. hee had in his heart a firm and invincible confidence, with a lively and strong hope of the promised issue: A∣gainst hope, viz. of the flesh, and natural reason, which did object nothing but impossibility, and as it were affirm∣ed that they could not bee his Seed, as God had spoken.
Vers. 19. And being not weak in Faith, hee considered not his own body now dead, when hee was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
Reas. 4. Because hee was not weak in faith; hee did not consider, or did not stand upon those impediments that lay before his Faith, from himself and his wife, as now dead, in respect to natural generation, but rather magnified the power and faithfulness of God which had promised.
Vers. 20. Hee staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in Faith, giving glory to God.
Reas. 5. Because hee disputed not against the Promise, not was stopt by those objections, which unbelief suggest∣ed, but valiantly defended the Promise of God, and set himself against temptations, ascribing to God the glory of his truth and Omnipotency.
Vers. 21. And being fully perswaded, that what hee had promised, hee was also able to perform.
Reas. 6. Because hee gave to God speaking, the glory of his truth, out of a most full perswasion of Gods power for the performance of his Promise. For the Promise once made, there is no doubt to bee made of his will to per∣form what hee promiseth: But the question which re∣mains, is touching the Power of him that promiseth. Which question being laid aside, Abraham rests in the promise of him whom hee knew to bee Almighty.
Vers. 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Reas. 7. Wherein the Faith of Abraham is commend∣ed, in that his Faith (by this act shewing it self to bee true, such a Faith which uniteth, humbled and emptied man (in the sight of God) to God that promiseth) was imputed to him for righteousness. Because hee imbraced for his righteousness, the blessing promised in that Seed which was to come, i. e. Christ.
Vers. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24. But for us also, to whom it shall bee imputed, if wee believe on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead.
Now the Apostle shews forth the example of Abrahams Faith, fitted to the common use of Believers, giving a pledge as it were by this example, promising that our Faith in Christ Jesus, in like manner, should bee imputed unto us for righteousness. And that hee might invite us to believe, hee first compares the Gospel (ministred unto us in the Name of God, touching the Death and Resurrecti∣on of Christ for us) to the promise made unto Abraham: And further, hee requires of us Faith in God, who offers us this grace by the preaching of the Gospel, that wee might believe with Abraham. And lastly, hee affirms our Faith in God, who hath willingly satisfied himself in the death of Christ, whom hee hath raised also from the dead (that hee might impute, and apply to us, the righte∣ousness obtained by the death of Christ) no less certain∣ly to bee imputed unto us for righteousness, than it is cer∣tain that Abrahams Faith was imputed to him for righte∣ousness; and so sure it is that this was not written for his sake alone, but for us, to whom in like manner this Faith was to bee imputed for righteousness.
Vers. 25. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our Iustification.
Hee layes the foundation of this certainty in a twofold judicial act of God towards Christ. The first act is, the delivering up of Christ our Surety to death for our offen∣ces. The other is, the raising of him for our Justification. In the first whereof, God testifies that the sins of the Re∣deemed were translated upon Christ by Covenant. And in the other, that hee is abundantly satisfied for their sins, and that the Redeemed in the person of their Surety are justified: From whence it follows, that to those who are Redeemed, (seeing they by Faith agree in this Cove∣nant revealed in the Gospel) Faith is imputed to righte∣ousness, or the Righteousness obtained by Christ is apply∣ed to them, that as in the person of their Surety they are justified, so also they may bee justified in themselves.