Ver.117. the Epi file to the Romans. 121 TIM . But bow came Abraham by this hsnour,to be tbs father of all beleevers? S I L. By vertue of Gods free pro- niiie, being beleeved by hint; there- fore Abraham had not this honour by works. Ttm. &d how and in what ma5sner io Abraham the father of all belceving peoples? vice hg... Sr L. That is expreffed in thefe words fa [before God :] which words be taken di- Del exempla ait 0'0.14 vers wayes of Interpreters : forne ex- pound it thus , [before God] that is to fay, (as God is, or after the example of God,who is Father of all people, Cien- tiles'as well as Jews; ) fo is Abraham a father. Some again expound it thus, [6efire God] that is, fo he is a father, as the fatherhood of Abraham cannot be underffoodby mansreafon, but by the Spirit of God. But thefe words, [before God] are to be nnderflood of a fpirituall kindred, filch as hath place beforeGod, in his fight and account, and maketh us accepted in his fight : there is great ne- cell ty hereof, becaufeGthence the blef fing of Paving health is contained and Phut within the feed of Abraham, there- fore we mutt be Abrahams children ac- cording to faith, that we may parta- kers of life eternall. T i m, What ie the inffruflion from hence ? S i L. That the Jewes which are Abrahams children onely according to the flefh by carnali generation, are not fo precious in Gods fight; as the Gen- tiles which beleeve; for thefe are pro -. perly children and heires of heavenly Canaan, whereof the earthly was buta type and a shadow. T t M. What it that whereunto Abrahams faith doth leaflet S r L. It is God whom he beleeved, now to beleeve God, is not onely to give credit to his word, but to put con- fidence in his merclfull promifes; for faith cannot find any ffay,untill it come to God, becaufe he onely is infinite in power,as "well as .in truth and goodnefs; for he alone can produce a Being out of a not- being, and reftore life to things dead.' . S i L. What tiffimony did God give to Abraham of his inftnite/power and o rsal- ' potency ? S u L . Unto the perlons of Abrahant and Sarah, who in refpe& of generatioh were as good as dead ; for fhe.was both barren, aged, and rail bearing, and he Was an hundred year old : fo as there was in reafòn as touch hope of the dead to engender;as of them. This of quick- ning t he dead may he ftretched further, even to the particular raifing-of form who were naturally dead , as Lazarus and others, as alto to the generall refura re &ion of the dead at the laft day, in both which refpe &s God loth quicken the dead.: allo the Saints while they lived, have had often experience of this effe& of Gods power; nattily, that be- ing often (as it were) dead ill their own opinions by great ficknefs,or very peril - lous dangers, they have been fuddenly and mightily revived, as Daniel in the den, Ease on the Mount Moriah, Joleph in the pit, Aloft: in the water, and Peter on the water: nay further,this hath allo place eveisinfoial cafes; fot.tvhileforne that have thought themfelves no better then dead and loft men, In refpe &; of their many and fearfull firmes, have yet been quickned by Gods mighty gtaee, and rettored to hope as Job, David and others, Lastly, in cyder of Nature,this hath place ; for we yearly fee things, as Herbes, Plants, and other creatures dead in Winter, revived in the Spring- time. T r r4. WhereuntoJbould this ferve ? S u L. To teach the godly in their greateft exrremities;to fix the ey of their minde upon Gods Alnsightinefs, that they may have comfort; knowing that they have ro doe with a God, that can fay to the dead , Live, and they Mall live. Allo, to ground all their prayers upon his power, as the chief prop of faith. Tr t4. Whereunto dojo refer that which fdlowerh, of callingthings which are not as though they were? S I L. Unto the Gentiles; which óf no people weremade a people by Gods efpeciall calling. Thefewords have yet a larger fenfe, for God'fulfihled them hr M the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=