I16 An Expofition upon ground that carnal! conceite of the fruitful!, are Jewifh Church, that it had onely tern- Abraham. porallprornifes,andwere not partakers of Chrifl and his righteoufneffe. Fur- thermore note here, that to be the chil- dren of Abraham, and heires of his ju- !lice, we ought to labour for ..fuch a faith in all points as was his faith, fo qualified as his beleefe was: comming after him in beleeeving, as we would track and follow the Iteps of one which had gone before us, in a rough,-uneven, and cragged way. TIM. What were the qualities of Abra- hams jaitb,in which we muff imitate him? S I L. Sundry and excellent. Firft, read.ioeffe,in that he beleeved God with- out delay or deliberation, after once he had his promife and underftood it. Se- condly hncerity, in that hee beleeved truely without hypocrite. Thirdly, ftrength, for that he strove againft, and overcame all lets of his faith. Fourthly, patience, in that he waited long for the performance of the promife.Fiftly,con- ttancy, in that he continued to beleeve unto the end. Sixtly, wifedome, in that he grounded his faith aright, upon the word and promife ofGod,and not up- on men or his owne merits. Seventhly, fruitfnlneffe, for his faith was fruitful' of good worker, lame, 2. 22. Abrahams faith wrought with his workes. Laftly, it was notconje6turall opinion, but a Plerophory or firme and full afluranee of the promife, Rom.4. T i mt. What were the Fhiefe fruits of Abrahams faith? S I L. Firft, fingular love ofGod,for whole fake he was ready to offer I faac. Secondly, a true feare of God. Thirdly, rare charity towards men, gladly enter- taining ftrangers. Fourthly,deniall of himfelfe, for he left his owne Country, and his fathers houle. Fiftly, fortitude and valorous courage, for he feared greatly no danger nor enemy. Sixtly, contempt of the world, with the plea- fines and delights, profits and honours of it : for he was ever ready to loofe and leave all for Gods name. Such as be like to Abraham in his faith, having or ftriving to have it fo qualified and CO Chap.4 indeed the children of DIALOGUE VII. Verle i3. For the promife that he fliould be the heire of the world, was not to Abraham or to hit feed through the Law: but through the rigb- teoufneffè offaith. TIMoTHEus. %Hat is the fcope anddrift of this Text? What io the purpofe of Paul ? S IL. To prove by a new reafon, that Abraham had righteoufneffe,not by his workes, but by his faith : the reafon is this ; By what means Abraham was heire ofeternall lire, by the fame means he obtained righteoufneffe:but Abraham was heire of eternal! life, by beleeving the promife ; therefore alto he had righteoufnefle by beleeving. Thus molt commonly the purpofe and connexionof this Text is laid down by interpreters: but (Wafter Reza and Pauper will have it not a new argument to prove the principali thing in quelli- on,viz. that righteoufneffe is by taith, (for this is not the thing concluded)but the medites terminus, or reafon to referre a conclufionpremifed in verfe 12. that the children of Abraham are they onely which walke in the fleps of Abrahams faith,(nptthey which walke in the fteps of his circumciton or workes :) for the Law, viz.(workes of the Law natural( or written ) is nothing to this child - (hip( as I may (peak:) reafon is, becaufe the promife given to Abraham to be heire of the world,or to have the world his inheritance, came to hint by the righteoufiles of faith : therefore they which walke not in Abraham, workes, but in his faith, be his children ; as A- braham became their father, not by his working, but by beleeving : If this fenfe and coherence be judgedbeft then (by world) the beleevers difperfed and feat tered over the world is meant: allo there is an Ellipftr ofthe word ( given ) which fhould be added to promife ; and the particle disjunctive (or) hath couch,- ed
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