CHAP. T.2. v!Commentarievpen the 3o word Ggnifieth fuch apromifc, as is meerely free, and moll abfolute, as D fference be the learned haue obferued: & is oppofed vnto all legal! promifes,which r i+, aaa 7lmwcenanc f. are not free but couditionall, and madegood to the keeper for the kee- Budaus. pingof thelaw; for theman that doth the law, (hall hueby the lame: but euangelicall promifes (whereofthis is the principal!) areno fuch corn- pa&s or baróaines, but free without all antecedent inducement, and all condition of doingany thing onour parts. As for the condition of faith, which fornemay here alleadge:the anfwer is,we receiue nothing for our faith, nor theworthinesor workeofit, but by it as ahand or means we receiue the freepromife ofeternal! life. Q`efl. But how couldGodpromife before the worldbegann,that is, Resdecreta from cuerlafling , feeing there was none then co promi le vnto? r4rofm.. ponitur pro " fodecreto. anvfuall figureof (peach the thingdecreed, is put for the decree it metan, felfe: and the true fence in this; God promifed, that is, decreed to pro. mife before theworld began, and in due time bath made that promife tnanife(l in thewordpreached, as in the next words. The like phrafes we finde, a. Tire. t . 9. He bath called vs with an holycalling, ---before the worldwae. Eph.t.4. we were chofenbefore thefoundation oftheworld, that is, God decreed then tochoofe vs. Neither will this fpeach feeme strange tohim that confidereth, t.that withGod all rimes arc prefent, none former,or latter tohim. z.that hereby the Scriptures would note the certaintie and affurance of Inch a mainepromife,offuch vfe andex-' pe6 ation. Out of whichwords we note three leffons. z. That life eternal! is ours by free promife. z. That God cannot lie,and therefore thepromife is infallible. 3. The admirablecare and loue of God toman, tendring his eter- nail good beforehe,or the world was. Life eternal' is Doçlr. z. That eternall life is bypromife,anpeareth by that vfuallme- our:bafree tonimiein the Scriptures , whereby itcarriethtlre nameof the promitest promife. felfe, although indcede it be the thingpromifed. Heb.6.1 z. bec follow- ers of them, who through faith andpatience attaine thepromife, that is, lifepromifed. This truthwas liuely typified both in the fonnes ofAbra- ham, as alto liuely fhadowed in that earthlyCanaan. The fonnes of A- braham were Ifaacand Ifmael, two fonnes , but one heire , and bee the fonneof promife :bywhich title alonehe heldhisprerogatiue,whereas lfruael was the firfl borne. Hencewas it vfuall with the Apoflles toop- Gat 413, pofe thefonnes according to the flefh , to the fanner of promife. And as it Ro!r.y.8. .I was then, fonow is there 'aféedeofpromife, euen all faithful! men and women,whoare railed out of faithful! promifes,faithfully apprehended, iteb.637. called elfewhere not formes onely,but beirerofpromife, that is, not one- lyfuch, as towhom thepromifesbelong, but fuch as claime their inhe- ritance
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