Book HI. chap.•. set't. 3. !Looking unto, 'Jjcfu.s. --------~----~------------- 2. Jwill bleji thee, faith God ; and this blelling had rdation to !'i' wealth ~rrd riches, .Abrahaw was 1;eryrichin cartel, injil.ver, and ingold. No quelbon thofe rtcheo came Gen. '3• •· from this b!eillng; the blejfing of the Lord it maf<!th rich, and he addeth no (orrow with Pco\•. to.u. it. This was Gods care of the. children of .Abraham, that he would give them ~iches, but !ell rheir hearts jbB~tld be lifted "f• and they lhould forget the Lord tn the mtd!l of their riches , he .learns them and btds them remember thts Ie!Ton ; fay not zn thme Dcut.S, q,S. fuart, my potver and the might of my hand bath gotten me this wealth; but remtrr.ber the Lordthy God, for it is he that gwerh thee power to ~et wealth, tha: he may eftablijh hu covenant, which he fivarumto thy fathers, M rt u thu day. True rtcbes come from God, , and by venue of this covenant; 0 thll none of us had any wealth , but fuch as comes by venueofa promife, and of the covenant of grace! · . 3 . I will male thy rtame great, faith God ; noMonarc~ was ever,fo famous in con– quering nations, or the whole world, as Abraham for hiS fa.th and obed~ence; God bath maonified his name amongfi the Hebmvs, who for thefe three thoufand years and upwa~ds have acknowledged none (except Mofes) greater than Abrah.tm; the Jews could , fay to very Chrift, art thongrcattr then o1tr father Abraham .'--whom maksft thou thy )oh. 8. SJ: fe!f? and God bath fo magnified his name amongll Chrillians·, that all belie~ers look upon it as a glory to be called ch,/dren of Ab;aham; nay, we cannot be Chn!ls , we , have no part mdmfi, unlefs we are Abrah.rms feed, and hetrs accordmg to promife. G,t. 3· •>· • 4· Vnto thy feed Iwillgivuhi< Land, faith God, as an everlafting poffejfion,Gen.I7·S· Gen. •7• s. • but bow lhould that which the Ifraelites poffelfed only for a time, be called an ever– Jailing polfcillon? The anfwer is, that the word tranflated everlajfing, doth not e\er fignifie that which 0Jall have no end, but an age, a term, or conunuance ; as It was faid ofSamuel, he jh01<ld appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever? (i.) .as long as. he 1Saro. 1. ,; li1•ed: and 1will yraife the Lord ( fatd David) for ever and ever; (1.) whiles I hvewtll I ~f. 141·'' •· praife the Lord, as long M I jhall have any being I will jing praifes unto my God. And the Pf.J46. 2 • defolation> ofthe captivity were called perpetual defolations, (i.) long defolations, even for ]cr. 'S· 9 ' feventy years. 1 Touching thefe bleillngs, _or priviledges, I have no more to fay but this, that God gave more of the temporal, lefs ofthe fpiritual, to the natural feed in the firll ages, but in the latter ages more of the fpiritual priviledges, and lefs of the temporal ; yea, and thus it is this day forthe mo{[.what among the Chrillian feed of the Gentiles; for ye fee )'OJSr calling brethren, how that not many wife men after the jlejh, not many mighty, not many 1 C"cr. '· >6i noble are called. 2· Oftbingsfpiritual, thus we read, fear not Abraham, I am thy jhield,and thy exceeding great reward; I am Godal/.fiif!irientoromnipotent, the almighty God, and !will be a God unto Gen •s. r. . thee,and to thyfeed after thee. 0 what precious promifes are thefe ? I. I am thy {hield, to Gcn 1]1.·•7·7• keep thee from all evil; fuch a fhield that no creature can pry through , fuch a lhield as f!tail cover thee over; nay, fuch a lhield as ll10ll cover rhee about; as fometimes God fpokeof Jerufalem, I, .faith the Lord, will be unto her awall offire round about. So here, Zacll. 2. 1·: I will be a lhield, a wall of fire round·about; not only a wall to keep thee fafe, but a wall of fire to confume all them that are againll thee; as a fire which !lands about like a wall, doth not only defend thofe that are within, but it burns thofe without that come near unto it; fo is God to his people. 2. I am thy exceeding great reward. I am the almighty Gad; I will be a God unto thee. This is the verv foui of the covenant' and ofall theproonifesof God: q. d. quantm, quantmji<nveft:r ero; all Iamisthi~e,myfelf, my goods, my grace, my glory, whatfoeveris in me, all that I have, and all my at– trtbute.s ar~thine ; my power, my wifdom, my counfel, my goodnefs, my riches, what– foever ts mtne in the whole world; I will give it thee for thy portion ; I, and all that I have are tlune. for thy ufe; Chri!lians! was nbrthis an exceeding great reward? who can under/land the !)ei,gbt, and depth, and length, and bredth of this reward?· furely happy" the peoplethat is infuch a cafe, yea, happy is that people whofe God is the .Lord, but Pf. 144; '5• mere oftlus hereafter. 6. What is the condition of this covenant J I anfwer, the condition of the covenant of grace li fauh, and only faith ; to this purpofe it is faid of Abraham, he believed inthe Lord, "'"d he colmtcdttto lnmfor righteoufnefs. 1his text is often alledged by the Apo!lles; the Gen:ir: 6; wordbet.eved Imports, that he thouoht the Word of God to be fure, certain !lable and Rom. •· 3· confiant; it is fuch a belief as is op~ofed tO fainting, as it is faid of tacob wlJen he heard Gal.,;. 6 • ., the report of h1s fans that Jofeph was alive hu /;Jeart faimed, becaufe he believed not . J~m. '· ' 3' L but when he b I'e d h" h ' d 'd r · h f h' • GCCL4PS,>u e I ve , ts eart revived; an Dav1 1att o tmfelf, I had fainted, K 2 - 11nlefs
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