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.
IN setting down this blessing, the Persons blessing and blessed, the Giver and the Receivers of the blessing, are distinctly expressed, under these two pronounces, I, Thee. The former hath reference to God; the latter to Abraham: for God saith to Abraham, I will blesse thee. God then is the author and giver of blessing. See v. 6, §. 47.
Abraham is here to be considered as a publick person, and the father of the faith∣full:* 1.1 so as what is here confirmed to Abraham, may be applyed to all the faithfull, as truly and as effectually, as if God had said it, and sworn it to every one of them in particular. As Lev•…•… is said to pay tithes in Abraham: (Heb. 7. 9.) so all beleevers that have been since Abraham, and shall be to the end of the world, are blessed in Abraham, Gal 3. 9. For it was not written for his sake alone, but for us also, Rom. 4▪ •…•…3.
All they that are of the faith of Abraham, and none but they have a right to this* 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For as there is an extent in this Pronoune Thee, (which is to be extended to Abraham and his se•…•…d, Gen. 12. 3. and 22. 17.) so there is a restraint therein. They must be such as are of his faith: and in that respect accounted his children. For 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, Rom. 9. 6, 7. But they which be of faith, are blessed with 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ Abraham, Gal. 3. 9.
Blessing then is proper only to the faithfull. Read the Scripture thorow, and* 1.3 observe where you find any pronounced blessed, I dare boldly say, you shall find them in this sence, to be of the seed of Abraham; namely, as they are of the faith of Abraham, and walk in the steps of Abraham, Psal. 1. 1. and 32. 1. and 119. 1. and 11•…•…. 1, 2.
Christ is the fountain of all blessing: He is that blessed seed, Gal. 3. 16. Out o•…•… him there can be nothing, but woe and curse. But all the faithfull are comprised in this s•…•…ed. They are members of that body, which is Christ, 1 Cor. 12. 12. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 none but they. Of such saith the Apostle, All are yours, and ye are Christs, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23.
1. How should this stir us up to be of this seed: and to give no rest to our soul•…•…,* 1.4 till we have some assurance thereof. It would be better never to have been of A∣dam, if we be not also of Abraham. That brought us into a cursed condition: This makes us blessed.
That we may be of this seed of Abraham, let us set Abraham before us, and con∣sider* 1.5 how he believed, that we may be of the same faith, Gal. 3. 7. Let us also con∣sider, how he walked, that we may walk in such steps, Rom. 4. 12.
Quet. Is it possible that we may be such as Abraham was?
Answ. Yes. There are the same meanes, and the same Spirit to make us so: and those meanes under the Gospell, are more perspicuous and powerfull.
Besides, though we have not such faith in the quantity and measure, yet we may have it in the kind and quality: even so far as will make us blessed.
2. Let such as have assurance that they are of this seed, content themselves in this,* 1.6 that they are thereupon blessed. They have no cause to envy any estate of others, that are not of this seed. For what can a creature desire more then to be blessed? Yea, what can the Creator give above that? This is the Summum bonum, the chief good of all.
Abraham a publick per∣son.
〈…〉〈…〉.
Blessing pro∣per to the faithfull.
Seek to be of Abrahams seed.
Abraham to be set before us.
Abrahams seed have cause to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉.