Ch. I i . The Fruits ofFaith. Hebrews. The Fruits ofFaith. Ch. r g defr'd an Heavenly Country , and it was efpe cially in relation to Heaven, that God condefcen fled to becall'd The God ofAbraham, Ifaac, an and the God of llrael ; for it's there tha hewill glorioufly own andgovern them. Note t. The force of Chrift's Argument a- gainftthe Sadducee, from God's relation ro braham,d' e. is here expounded. 2. They er that think Believers of old expedted not a Hea- venly Felicity : Though Mofels Law, as it was Political tobe theRule ofMagiftrates Judgment, reached not fo high, yet as fubordinate to the Pronaife or Covenant ofGrace, it did. 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tryed, offered up Ifaac: and he that had received the promifes, offe- red up his only begotten fon. 18. Of whom it was faid, That in Ifaac fhall thy feed be called. 17, IS. It was bybelieving and muffing the Promife of God concerning his Seed in Ifaac, that .Abraham, when God thereby try'd him, offerd up even that Son to Death, to whom the Promife of Multiplication was made, and the Nations tobe bleft in his Seed. 19. Accounting that God was able to raife hire up, even from the dead : from whence alfo he received him in a 20. It was by believing God's Promife of things to come, yet sofeen, that /face bleffed d 7acob andEfau, foretelling what God would t do with them. 2 r. By faith Jacobwhen he was a dyingbleffed both the Sons of Jofeph, 1, and worlhipped, leaning upon the top of his Had: figure. es. For he believ'd that God's Promife mutt be fulhll'd, and could not be broken for want of Power, no more than for want of Wifrlom or Goodnef ; and that he would rather raife him from the dead, than break his word: And indeed he receiv'd hint again, as it had been from the dead (in which he prefigur'd Chrift's Refurre&ion and ours.) Note, Thegreat difficulty of.. 46raham's cafe was, how he was bound to- take that to be God's Voice which bid him murder the Inno- tent, and fo break -God's Law of Nature : Mutt not we try the- Spirits by the Banding LawofGod inNature ? .Ant. r.God is the abfolute Lord ofall lives, and can do noman wrong ; And .Abraham knew that he could make Troth Ifaac and himfelfamends ; yea, that he could and would refèntly raife him to life again. 2. And by full evidence and experi.. mental proof, he knew that it was God that Spoke to him : But we are fuppofed to have more caufe ofdoubting, where we mutt try the Spirits. We mutt- believe no pretended Revelation aoainft certain foreknown Truth s nor yet disbelieve God, upon a proud pretence thatwe know that tobe Truth, which indeed we know not. 20. By faith Ifaac bleffed -Jacoband Efau concerning things to come, es. It was bybelieving unfeen futurethings, that yarob, when he could fcarce fit up, and was ready to die, foretold what God would do with the Potterityofyofeph's Sons. Note ; go. When Ifaac and 7aeoh both igno- rantly prefer'd the younger before theelder, how could that be laid to be done by Faith, which they underttood not? 4, :f. T. They believ'd the promif0dBleffing, to both. 2. And they believ'd the inward In- fpiration of God, which told them, (This Per- ko on whom t'tou layeft thyhands, Shall have this particular Bleffingl though they knewnot which ofthem it was by name: It was to a de- terminate individual. 22. Byfaith Jofeph, when he died, made mentionof thedeparting of the children of Ifrael, and gave command- ment concerning his bones. 22. How could yofeph foretell the Ifraelirea going out of Egypt, and give them order to carry his Bones with them, but by believing unfeen future things, on the credit of God's Teftimony, by inward prophetical Infpiration (whichwas his Word to him.) 23., By faith Mofes, when he was born) was hid three months ofhis pa- rents, becaufe they law he was a pro- per child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. 23. It was by believingCome intimation from God, partly inward, and partly in his perfonal appearance, what Mofra Shouldprove, as to un- feen future things, which encourao'dhisParents to hide him, notwithftanding tie murderous commandment of theRing. 24. By faith Mofes, when he was come toyears, refufed tobe called the Son of Pharaohs daughter. 2 g. Choo- fìng rather to fuffer afiíi pion with the people ofGod, than to enjoy theplea- fures of fin for a feafon : 26. Efteem- ing the reproach of Chri greater riches than the treafures in Egypt : for he had refpett unto the recom- pence of the reward, 24, gré
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