of his seed in the way whereby the promise should be accom plished, but no more, chap. xv. 5. And at length, he lets him know the extent of his seed unto believers of all nations, chap. xvii. 5. To all which, a farther confirmation by the oath of God, and the extent of the promise, is added, chap. xxii. 1518. So are we to embrace, and improve as he did, the first dawnings of divine love and grace. It is not full assurance that we are first to look after, but wait for the confirmation of our faith in compliance with what we have received; if we either value not, or improve not in thankful obedience, the first intimations of grace, we shall make no progress towards greater enjoyments. And in the apostle's expression of this promise, we may consider,

1. The manner of the expression. 2. The nature and concernments of the promise itself.

In the manner of the expression there are the affirmative particles, μn, certe, truly. They answer only directly unto in the Hebrew; but the apostle includes a respect unto what was said before, nyawa, in myself have I sworn.' And

is sometimes used for 18, that is, truly;' in way of an

,כי אל-אל האמר נשאתי לא אחבל .31 .asseveration, Job xxxiv

which we render, "Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have born," I will not offend, and that properly. And no was of common use in the Greek tongue, in assertory oaths. So Demosthenes, ομνύει η μην απολωλεναι Φίλιππον, 6 he sware η μην that he would destroy Philip.' The Vulgar Latin renders it by nisi, that is, un, contrary to the sense of the ancients, Chrysostom, Oecumenius, and Theophylact, as some of the expositors of the Roman church do acknowledge. But yet that manner of expression, denotes a sense not unusual in the Scripture. For there is an intimation in it, of a reserved condition rendering the saying ensuing, a most sacred oath. Unless I bless thee, let me not be trusted in as God, or the like. But the formality of the oath of God, is neither in Genesis, nor here expressed; only respect is had unto what he affirms, "by myself have I sworn." Surely, undoubtedly.'

6

The promise itself is expressed in those words, ευλογων ευλογής es, &c. "Blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." Our apostle renders the words of Moses exactly, Gen. xxii. 17. Only where it is said there, "I will multiply thy seed," he expresseth it by, "I will multiply thee, which is all one, or to the same purpose; for he could be no way multiplied, but in his seed: and he proceedeth no farther with the words of the promise, as being not concerned in what followeth. For although his seed was actually multiplied, yet it was Abraham himself who was blessed therein. The Vulgar Latin in this place reads, benedicens benedicam, " blessing I will

bless;" but in Genesis hath only benedicam and multiplicabo. Hence divers of the Roman expositors, as Ribera, Tena, and others, give sundry reasons why the apostle changed the expression from what was used in Moses, where it is only said, I will bless thee," into "blessing I will bless thee." And, which I cannot but observe, Schlictingius, who followeth in this place the exposition of Ribera, complies with him also in that observation: aliis quidem verbis (saith he) promissionem hanc apud Mosem extulit; but all this is but the mistake of the vulgar interpreter on Gen. xxii. For the words in the original have the reduplication rendered by the apostle, which the LXX. also observe. And this reduplication is a pure Hebraism, vehemently affirming the thing promised, and hath in it the nature of an oath. It also intends and extends the matter promised: 66 Blessing I will bless thee." I will do so without fail, I will do so greatly without measure, and eternally without end. And this kind of asseveration is common in the Hebrew, Gen.

66

In the day thou eatest * ביום אכלך ממנו מות תמות .17 .ii

thereof, dying thou shalt die:" thou shalt assuredly die, be certainly obnoxious unto death. It may be also, that the double death, temporal and eternal, is included therein; see Gen. xxxvii. 33. 2 Kings ii. 23. 1 Sam. xxiii. 22. Josh. xxiv. 10. Jer. xxiii. 17. Dan. xi. 10.

Obs. I. We have need of every thing that any way evidenceth the stability of God's promises to be represented unto us, for the encouragement and confirmation of our faith.-As God redoubled the word at the first giving out of the promise unto Abraham, for the strengthening of his faith, so is the same here expressed by the apostle that it might have the same effect upon us. And two things especially God seems to impress on our minds in this vehemency of expression. 1. The sincerity of his intentions without reserve. 2. The stability of his purposes without alteration and change. It is to signify both these, that such emphatical vehement expressions are used even among men, and both these unbelief is apt to question in God." He that believeth not, maketh God a liar," I John v. 10. He is a liar, who in his promises intendeth not what his words signify, but hath other reserves in his mind; and he who having promised, changeth without cause. Both these doth unbelief impute to God, which makes it a sin of so heinous a nature. The first time God used this kind of reduplication, it was in his threatening of death unto the transgression of the command, Gen. ii. 17. “ In the day thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die." And that which Satan deluded our first parents by, was in persuading them that there was not sincerity in what God had said, but that he had reserved to himself that it should be otherwise. The serpent said unto the woman, non nia xb,

"dying ye shall not die," Gen. iii. 4. But this being directly contrary to what God had expressly affirmed, how could Satan imagine that the woman would immediately consent unto him against the express words of God? Wherefore he useth this artifice to prevail with her, that although God had spoken those words, yet he had a reserve to himself that it should not be to them indeed as he had spoken, ver. 5. By these means, unbelief entered into the world, and hath ever since wrought effectually in the same kind. There is no promise of God so plainly expressed, but unbelief is ready to suggest innumerable exceptions why it should have such reserves accompanying of it, as that it doth not belong unto us. Most of these exceptions we gather from ourselves, and were it not for them, we suppose we could believe the promise well enough. But the truth is, when we are called to believe, when it is our duty so to do, when we pretend that we are willing and desirous to do so, were it not for such and such things in ourselves, it is the sincerity of God in his promises we call in question; and we think that although he proposeth the promise unto us, and commandeth us to believe, yet it is not his intention and purpose that we should do so, or that we should be made partakers of the good things promised. By the purpose of God, I do not here intend the eternal purpose of his will concerning the effects and events of things, about which we are called to exercise neither faith nor unbelief, until they are manifested. But the whole rule of our duty is in God's command, and the faith required of us consists in this, that if we comply with what God prescribeth, we shall enjoy what he promiseth: if we believe, we shall be saved. And herein to question the truth or sincerity of God, is a high effect of unbelief. This distrust therefore God removes by the reduplication of the word of the promise, that we might know he was in good earnest in what he expressed. The like may be spoken concerning the stability of the promises, with respect unto change, which, because it must be particularly afterwards spoken to, shall be here omitted. And these things we have need of. If we think otherwise, we know little of the nature of faith or unbelief, of our own weakness, the efficacy of the deceits of Satan, or the manifold oppositions which rise up against believing.

2. For the promise itself here intended, or the matter of it, it may be considered two ways. 1. As it was personal unto Abraham, or as the person of Abraham was peculiarly concerned therein. 2. As it regards all the elect of God, and their interest in it; of whom he was the representative.

First, As this promise was made personally unto Abraham, it may be considered, 1. With respect unto what was carnal,

temporal and typical. 2. Unto what was spiritual and eternal, typed out by those other things.

First, As unto what was carnal and typical, the things in it may be referred unto two heads. 1. His own temporal prosperity in this world. God's blessing is always a nedin, an addition of good unto him that is blessed. So it is said, Gen. xxiv. 1. "God hath blessed Abraham in all things;" which is explained, ver. 35. in the words of his servant, "The Lord hath greatly blessed my master, and he is become great, and he hath given him flocks and herds, silver and gold." God increas ed him in wealth, riches and power, until he was esteemed as a mighty prince by the people among whom he dwelt, Gen. xxiii. 6. And this in the blessing was a type and pledge of that full administration of grace and spiritual things, which was principally intended. 2. What concerned his posterity wherein he was blessed. And herein two things were in the promise both expressed at large.

1. The greatness of their number: they were to be as the stars of heaven, or as the sand by the sea-shore; that is, innumerable.

2. Their success and prosperity: that they should possess the gates of their enemies, which principally respected the mighty successes which they had, and conquests which they made under the conduct of Joshua, and afterwards of David.

In both these things were they typical of the more numerous subjects of the kingdom of Christ, and of his spiritual conquest for them and in them, of all their spiritual adversaries; see Luke i. 70--75.

In these two branches of the promise, the faith of Abraham was greatly exercised as unto the accomplishment of them. For as unto the first, or multiplication of his posterity, though he lived after this about seventy years, yet he never saw any more. than two persons, Isaac and Jacob, that were interested in this promise. For although he had other children and posterity by them, yet in Isaac only was his seed to be called, as to this promise. He had therefore, during his own days, no outward visible pledge or appearance of its accomplishment; and yet however he lived and died in the faith thereof. And as to the latter, of their prosperity and success, he was told before, that they should be in affliction and bondage for 400 years. Yet looking by faith through all these difficulties, in its proper season he inherited the promise.

And he was a great example herein unto all believers under the New Testament; for there are many promises remaining as yet unaccomplished, and which at present, as in other ages, seem not only to be remote from, but as to all outward means, to be cast under an impossibility of accomplishment. Such are

those as concerning the calling of the Jews, the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, with the enlargement and establishment of the kingdom of Christ in this world. Concerning all these things, some are apt to despond, some irregularly to make haste, and some to reject and despise them. But the faith of Abraham would give us present satisfaction in these things, and assured expectation of their accomplishment in their proper

season.

Secondly, The peculiar interest of Abraham in this promise, as to the spiritual part of it, may also be considered; and hereof, in like manner, there were two parts.

1. That the Lord Christ should come of his seed according to the flesh. And he was the first person in the world, after our first parents, to whom in the order of nature it was necessary, to whom the promise of the Messiah to spring from them was confirmed. It was afterwards once more so confirmed to David, whence, in his genealogy, he is said in a peculiar manner to be the son of David, the son of Abraham. For unto these two persons alone was the promise confirmed. And therefore is he said in one place to be the seed of David according to the flesh, Rom. i. 3. and in another, to have taken on him the seed of Abraham, Heb. ii. 16. Herein lay Abraham's peculiar interest in the spiritual part of this promise: he was the first who had this privilege granted to him by especial grace, that the promised Seed should spring from his loins. In the faith hereof, he saw the day of Christ and rejoiced. This made him famous and honourable throughout all generations.

2. As he was thus to be the natural father of Christ according to the flesh, whence all nations were to be blessed in him or his seed; so being the first that received or embraced this promise, he became the spiritual father of all that do believe, and in them the heir of the world in a spiritual interest, as he was in his carnal seed the heir of Canaan, in a political interest. None come to be accepted with God, but upon the account of their faith in that promise, which was made unto Abraham, that is, in him who was promised unto him. And we may observe, that,

Obs. II. The grant and communication of spiritual privileges is a mere act or effect of sovereign grace.-Even this Abraham, who was so exalted by spiritual privileges, seems originally to have been tainted with the common idolatry which was then in the world. This account we have, Josh. xxiv. 2, 3. "Your father dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood." It is true, the charge is express against Terah only; but it lying against their fathers in