Ln. I I. Of A BRAH AM. I~\ A But whithermufl he goe? to a place he knewnot, to men that knew not him: it is enough comfOrt to a good man, wherefoever he i~, that he is acquaintedwithGod· we are never out ofour way,whilew:fo!low the callingofGod.Ne•·erany m>n lorl by hisobedience to the Highefl; becaufe d6raham yeelded, God gives him thepoffeffionofCaman:l wonder more at his faith in taking thispoiTeffion,then in leaving his owne ;Behold, Ahraham takes poffelfion for that Seed which he had not; which in nature hee was not like to have; ofthat Land whereof he iliould not have one root,wherein his Seed iliould not be fetled ofalmofl five hundred yeeres after : The power offaith can prevent time, and make future things prefent; ifwe be the rmc fonnes of Ahr~ham, we have already (whilewee fojourne hereon earth ) the poffef.. fion ofour landofPromife : while we feekour Coumrey,we have it, Yet evenCanaan doth noralford him bread, which yet bee mull beleeve !hall B flow with milke and honey to his Seed : Cenfe mufl yeeld to faith ; woe were u•, ifwee mufljudge ofourfuture eflate by theprefent : lEgypt gives reliefe to Abraha,,. when Canaan cannot. In outward thingsGods enemiesmay f.1re betterchen his friends: ThriCe had lEgypt preferved theChurchofGod, in Abraham, in 'jacob, iu Cbrift; Godoft-timesmakes ufe ofthe world,for thebehoofeofhis;though without their tbankes: as contrarily he ufes thewicked for fcourges to his own inheritance, odburoesthem; becaufe in hisgood they intended evill. Butwhat achange is this? hitherto bath Sarah been A6raham1 wife, now lEgypt bath made her his filler; feare bath turned him from ahulband to a brother ; No flrength offaith can excludefome doubrings: God bath faid,I will make thoe agreat C Nation;Aht•lwn faith, the1Egypitionswill kill me: He that lived by hisfaith, yet fhtinketh, and fioneth. How vainely !hall we hope to beleeve without all feare,and to livewithout inGrmities ? Somelittle afperGons of unbe!iefe cannot hinder the ptaife and power offaith l A~raham beleeved, and it was imputed to him fur righ· teoufnelfe. Se thatthrough inconfiderames doobred twife ofhis own life, doubted notofthelifeofhisSeed, even fromrhedeadanddrywombeofsar•h: yet was it more difficult that his Pollerity lhould live in Sarah, then that Saraht husband fhould live in )Egypt: This was above nature, yet hebeleevesir.Sornetimes the beleever flicks at eaGe trials,and yet breaks through the greatell temptations without feare : Abraham was oldere this promifeand hope ofa foone; and frill the older themoreuncapable: yetGod makes him waite twenty five yeeres for perfOrmance: No t1me is long to faith; which had learned to deferre hopes without tainting and D irkefomnelfe. · Ahraham heard tbisnewes from the Angell, aad laughed : sarah heard it, and laughed: theydid not more agree in theirdefire, then dilfer in theiralfecrion : A· br•ham laughed for joy; Sara for diflrufl: Abraham laughed, becaufe hebeleeved it would be fo; s•rah, becaufelhe belcevcd it couldnot be fo : the fame all: varies in themanner ofdoing, and the intention ofthe doer : Yet sar•h !aught but within her felfe, and i~ bewraied: HowGod can finde tis out in Cecret Gnnes ! how eafily did !henow thinke, that he which could knowofherinward laughter, could know ofher conception & now !he that laughed, and believed nor, believerh and fearerh. Whata lively pattern docl Ceein Abroham and Sarah, of a llrong Faith, and weak! ofllrong in Abraham,and weak in Sarah:Sheto makeGodgood ofhis word E to AhrHham,knowing her own barrenneiTe,fubflitutes an H agar; and in anambition ofSeed perfwades to Polygamy. Ahraham had never looked to obraine the promife byany other then abarrenwombe,ifhis ownewifehad not importuned him torake another: when our own apparent meJnsfuile, weak fJith ispmto the fhifts; and projects flmnge devices ofher owne, ro attaine theend. Shewill rather conceive by another wombe, then be childleiTe : when !he he'!es ofan impofiibility to nature, !he doubteth,and yet hides het diffidence, and wl>en !hemufl believe, feareth, becaufe !he did diflrufl : Abraham heares and believes, and expects and rejoyces; he faith nor, lamoldand weak, 8arab is oldand barren; where are the many Nations ~hot !ball come from thefewithered loynes? Itisenough eo himrhar God hach faid 1t: hefees not themeaneP,he fees the promife. He knew that God would rather raife Yyy him
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