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§. 94. Of Gods manifold promises to Abraham, and the excellency of his faith in resting on them.
THe excellency of Abrahams faith is cleerly manifested by the kind of promises which he believed.
It is here said, that God made promise to Abraham. a 1.1 This verb, made promise, i•…•… such a compound as b 1.2 the noune, promise, was. §. 87. It hath reference, as to the other promises which God made to Abraham, so in speciall to this, In blessing, I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there, and in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed, &c. Gen. 22. 17, 18. For the •…•…ds of that promise are here quoted▪ v. 14. And to that promise was the oath i•…•… particular annexed, Gen. 22. 16. The promises made to Abraham were very great: and many of them to mans reason, seemed very improbable, if not impossible. For
- 1. God called him from his kindred, and out of his own country; and promised* 1.3 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the possession of many Nations, whereof he gave him none inheritance, no not so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as to set his foot on, Acts 7. 5.
- 2. He promised to bless him, and to make his name great, &c. Exod. 12. 2. This was a great promise in the kinde of it.
- 3. He promised him seed as the Stars, when he had no childe, and had been ma∣ny years childless, Gen. 15. 2, 5.
- 4. When his body was now dead, being about an hundred years old: And Sa∣•…•…s 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dead, he promised to give him a Son by Sarah, Rom. 4. 19.
- 5. After that Son was given him, to whom the promise was appropriated, he was commanded to sacrifice him with his own hand; and upon that command, he was ready to do it, and yet believed, Heb. 11. 19. See v. 15.
In these and other like respects, his faith is thus commended; Against hope he be∣lieved* 1.4 in •…•…ope. He was not weak in faith. He staggered not at the promise of God through •…•…elief. He was strong in faith. He was fully perswaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform, Rom. 4. 18, 19, 20, 21.
In the•…•… Chapter of this Epistle, v. 8. &c. occasion will be given of setting forth Abrahams faith yet more largely.
Abrahams patience is expresly noted, v. 15.
By this it appeareth how prudently, & pertinently the Apostle hath c•…•…lled out Abra∣hams* 1.5 example, and set it in speciall before them: For if a Father so believed, and had such patience, then must children endeavour to be like him. We are all children of Abraham, Gal. 3. 7, 29. Now it is an honour for a childe to be like his Father. We ought then rather to be like him, because there are no such difficulties and obsta∣cles opposed unto us. Gods promises and means of accomplishing them, do now sweetly concur. We live in times wherein we see the substance of all former pro∣mises accomplished, Rom. 4. 24.