lt® 15 so 35 30 35 theEpp to th. Galatiaru. Chap.3. 175 Abrahampecially refpct3ed (by the eyeof faith,) the bid-fed (Cede of the woman. He therefore belecued the promifeof a (cede, as it was a pledgevetohim of a thing moreprincipali; namely, the fauour of God,and as it wasa meancs toef-fefì the incarnationofthe fonne ofGod. Inhis examplewe aretaught howweare to refpeELand vfeearthly things: we are torefpe& them as pledges ofGods fauour : and tovfethem as manes to further vs toChrift, and to the attainmcntofour faluat+on. The thirdpoint is thepropertieof Abrahams faith, which was a faith againfl hope. For he bcleeued the promife of a feede , when his bodicwas halfe dead, andSarai was barren. In like fort we keeping true religion , and goodconfcicnce,mull irtall our temptations, croffes,miferies, infirmities, againft rea- fon, fenfe , and feeling:, belceue the promife of remiflionof finnes, and life euerlafting. In the efFea and fruit ofAbrahams faith , three things mull beconfidered. The firfl is , whatis meant bv.7mputatio». To imputeproperly, isa (peachborrowed frommarchants : and it lignifies to recken, or to keepe a reckening ofexpenfes,and re- ceipts. Thus Paul faith, P.hilcm. IS. Ifhe bane done thee any wrong, impute it to rite: that is, let it onmyreckening. And this word is hereapplied, tothe Iudgcment ofGod. Becaufe he is our foueraigne.Lord, and we are his debters: andhe doth ad- judge vnto men for their finncs,cithcr pardon, or punitfhrrent. lmputationittGod, is twofold : one, Legal]: theother, E- uangelicall, Legal] is,when Godwilleth and adiudgeth the re- ward to him that fulfilleth the law. ThusPaul faith, Rom. 4.5. that themvaget ù imputed tohim that worketh, and that ofa.-bt, E- uangelicali imputation is,whenGod accepts the (atisfaflionof Chrifl, our furetie, as apaimcnt for our finnes. In this fcnle is theword, Impute, taken ten times in the.-.4. chap. to the Rom. and in the fame , is it vied in this place. Thefecondpoint is, what is imputed ? Andit w.i irrspatsd, that is, faith. Faith here mule becorrfrdcred two waics; firl?,.as a qualitic in it (elk : and thus it is imperfect, and confecluentiv cannot be,imputed to-vs for our iuftification. Again , faith muff beconfidered as an inflrument, or hand holdingand rc- ceiuingChrifh.and in thisregardbeleeuing;is put=for the thing hcleened<. And thus mullthis text bevndcrflood. i't rise impu- ted:o him, that is,thc thingwhich his faith beleeued was impu.
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