the consideration of all other divine excellencies for its encouragement and corroboration. And all of them together are that name of God whereon a believing soul stays itself in all extremities, Isa. 1. 10. And,

Thus is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; that is, the righteousness of Christ as tendered in the promise, is made known and communicated from the faith of God therein, unto the faith of them by whom it is believed.

VER. 12.-IN this verse we have an illustration of the fruit of faith before declared, by the eminent consequence of it, in the numerous or innumerable posterity of Abraham.

VER. 12. Διο και αφ' ένος εγεννήθησαν, και ταυτα νενεκρωμένου, καθώς τα άστρα του ουρανου τῳ πλήθει, και ώσει αμμος ń παρα το χειλος της θαλασσης ἡ αναρίθμητος.

VER. 12.-Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and, as the sand which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.

The things contained in this verse, as they were a consequence of the original mercy or fruit of faith in the conception and birth of Isaac, so they are reckoned also themselves to the gratuitous remuneration of faith; although it be not added particularly that it was by faith. For they are expressly contained in the promise to Abraham, which he received by faith, and that in the very words recorded here by the apostle, Gen. xv. 4, 'The Lord said unto him, He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir,' which is what was declared in the foregoing verse; and then he adds, 'Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; so shall thy seed be;' as it is in this place. And ch. xxii. 17, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore.' Wherefore the belief hereof belonged to that faith of Abraham which he is commended for; and it had its peculiar difficulties also, that rendered it both acceptable and commendable. For whereas he himself had but one son by virtue of the promise, it was not easy for him to apprehend how he should have such an innumerable posterity.

And it may be observed, that the first testimony given to the justification of Abraham by faith, was on his belief of this part of the promise, that his seed should be as the stars of heaven that cannot be numbered;' for thereon it is immediately added, that he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness,' Gen. xv. 5, 6. For although this promise concerned things temporal, yet it belonged to the way of redemption by Christ, the promised seed, so as that justifying faith may act itself, and be an evidence of our justification, when we believe promises even about temporal mercies, as they belong to the covenant; whereof we have innumerable examples under the Öld Tes

tament.

The note of inference, do, therefore,' respects not a consequence in the way of reasoning, but the introduction of a consequent, or other

matter, on what was before asserted. And the particle ka in the original is not conjunctive, but emphatical only; so we render it 'even,' 'even of one.'

The blessing here declared as a fruit of faith is 'a numerous posterity,' T Ane. Not only had Abraham and Sarah one son on their believing, but by him a numerous, yea, an innumerable posterity. But it may be inquired, whence this should be such a blessing as to be celebrated amongst the most eminent fruits of faith, as being the subject of a solemn divine promise. I answer, it was so, because the whole church of God, who should be the true worshippers of him under the old testament, was confined to the posterity of Abraham. Therefore was their multiplication a singular blessing, which all the faithful prayed for and rejoiced in. So is it stated by Moses, Deut. i. 10, 11, The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and behold you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you as he hath promised you.' And,

Obs. I. When God is pleased to increase his church in number, it is on various accounts a matter of rejoicing unto all believers, and a subject of their daily prayers, as that which is frequently promised in the word of truth.

Obs. II. An ungodly carnal multitude, combined together in secular interests for their advantage, unto the ends of superstition and sin, calling themselves the church, like that of Rome, is set up by the craft of Satan, to evade the truth, and debase the glory of these promises. This blessing of a numerous posterity is variously set forth, illustrated, and heightened.

First. From the root of it. It was one, one man, that is, Abraham. Unto him alone was the great promise of the blessing Seed now confined. And he, though but one, was heir of all the promises. And this privilege of Abraham, the Jews, when they were grown wicked and carnal, boasted of, and applied unto themselves. They spake, saying, Abraham was one, and he inhabited the land; but we are many, the land is given us for an inheritance,' Ezek. xxxiii. 24. He was that one whose rights and privileges they appropriated unto themselves. He was mentioned so here by the apostle, to set off the greatness of the mercy proposed, that so many should spring of one.

Secondly. From the consideration of the state and outward condition of that one, when he became the spring of this numerous posterity: of him as good as dead, και ταυτα νενεκρωμένου; so all our translations from Tindal, much to the sense of the words. So it is expressed, Rom. iv. 19, owμa ǹồŋ veveкpwuevov, his body now dead;' or rather mortified,' brought towards death, made impotent by age, being, as the apostle there observes, about a hundred years old. The word

Taura is variously rendered; but, as Erasmus observes, it is often used adverbially, and rendered idque, atque id, et quidem; and that,' and truly. And if we shall say that και ταυτα is taken for και προς ταυτα, as sometimes it is, the meaning will be plain: And as unto these things,' that is, the generation of children, one that was dead,' Otherwise, I cannot better express the sense than as it is in our translation.

For this sense cannot be allowed, that there sprang from one, and that after he was dead, with respect unto the succeeding progenitors of the people; but respect is had unto the then present state of Abraham. His body naturally was as useless unto the end of the procreation of such a posterity as if it had been dead.

Obs. III. God oftentimes by nature works things above the power of nature in its ordinary efficacy and operations. So by weak and dead means he often produceth mighty effects.

The way of the raising of this posterity from this one, we express by they sprang from him;' that is, as the word eyevvnenoav signifies, were begotten or born in their several generations, the original spring and fountain of them all being in him.

Thirdly. The greatness of this fruit of faith in a numerous posterity, is expressed by declaring the multitude of them in a twofold proverbial expression.

1. They were, τ Ane, 'for multitude,' as many as, rа aoтpa тоν ovpavov, 'the stars in the sky. I had rather say, the stars of heaven,' as it is in the original, for so they are constantly called; and in all naturalists, the place of their fixation is termed 'the starry heaven.' This expression was first used by God himself, who commanded Abraham to go out, or brought him forth abroad, and bid him look towards heaven, and tell the stars, if he were able to number them. Now, although it is pretended that by rules of art those of them which are visible or conspicuous may be numbered, and are not so great a multitude as is supposed; yet it is evident, that in a naked view of them by our eyes, without any outward helps, such as God called Abraham unto, there can be no greater appearance of what is absolutely innumerable. Besides, I judge that in this comparison of the posterity of Abraham unto the stars of heaven, not only their number, but their beauty and order are also respected. The stars in heaven are like the inhabitants of a well-governed commonwealth, a people digested into order and rule, with great variety as unto their magnitude and aspects. This was a just representation of the numerous posterity of Abraham, disposed into the order of a wise commonwealth in the giving of the law.

2. In the other allusion they are declared to be absolutely innumerable. It is not said that they should be as many as the sand by the sea-shore, but as that is innumerable, so should they also be. they a multitude in their successive generations, which could be no more numbered than the sand by the sea-shore. On many considerations, there cannot be a greater instance of the absolute certainty of an almighty efficacy in divine promises for their accomplishment, than is in that here proposed. Neither their own sins, nor the oppressions of the world, not their Egyptian bondage, nor the graves of the wilderness, could hinder this fruit of faith, or the accomplishment of this promise; and hence proceeded the miraculous multiplication of the posterity of Jacob in Egypt, wherein from seventy-five persons, in little more than two hundred years, there sprang six hundred thousand men, besides women and children. Wherefore,

Obs. IV. Whatever difficulties and oppositions lie in the way of the

accomplishment of the promises under the New Testament, made unto Jesus Christ concerning the increase and stability of his church and kingdom, they shall have an assured accomplishment.

VER. 13.-UPON the proposal of these instances, because there was somewhat peculiar in them, distinct from those before recounted, and those which follow after, namely, their pilgrim estate after the call of Abraham, the apostle diverts unto the declaration of what they did, what they attained, and what they professed in that state. His entrance into it is in this verse.

VER. 13. Κατα πιστιν απεθανον οὗτοι παντες μη λαβοντες τας επαγγελίας, αλλα πορρωθεν αυτας ίδοντες, και πεισθεντες, και ασπασάμενοι, και ὁμολογησαντες ότι ξενοι και παρεπίδημοι εισιν επι

της γης.

Κατα πιστιν,

Karа TIOTIV, Vul. Lat. Juxta fidem, 'according to faith.' Syr. n, ' in faith,' as in the former places, where it is ev Tlotel. Bez. Secundum fidem, more properly than juxta.

Μη λαβοντες τας επαγγελιας. Vul. Lat. Non acceptis repromissionibus, having not received the promises.' Bez. Non adepti promissa, 'having not obtained the promises,' I think less to the mind of the apostle. Syr., Their promise,' the promise made to them. Ethiop. All these believing, obtained their own promises;' as it is usual with that translator, to contradict the text.

Пoppwlεv. E longe, è longinquo, eminus; 'afar off,' at a great dis

tance.

ПEVTEC is not in the Vul. Lat. nor Syriac; but is in most Greek copies, and is necessary to the sense.

AorаoaμevoL. Vul. Lat. Salutantes. Bez. Amplexi essent; as we 'embraced.' Syr., and rejoiced in it.'

VER. 13.-These all died in faith, not having received the promises ; but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pil. grims in the earth.

There is proposed unto us in the words, 1. The persons spoken of: and, 2. What is affirmed of them.

First. The persons spoken of, oùTOι Tavτεs, 'all these;' that is, not all that he had instanced in from the beginning of the chapter, although they also, all of them except Enoch, who was translated, died in faith; but those only who left their own country, on the especial command of God, living as pilgrims in the land of Canaan, and elsewhere, that is, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob. This is evident from what is affirmed of them in the ensuing verses, 13-15.

Secondly. Of all these many things are affirmed.

First. That theу, anε0аvоv ката TIOTI, 'died in faith.' That they lived by faith he had before declared, and now he adds, that so they died also. It is in the original, according to faith,' in the same sense.

So, 'to walk,' kaта σаρка, Rom. viii. 4, is the same with 'living,' ev σαρκι, ver. 8. And so it is well rendered, in faith.' There is no doubt but that the apostle commends the faith of them spoken of, from its perseverance unto the end; as there is no faith genuine or accepted with God, but what doth and will do so. Their faith failed them not, neither unto nor in their last moments. But there is also somewhat more intended, namely, the exercise of faith in dying. They died in the exercise of faith, as unto their own persons and state. And hereunto is required, 1. The firm belief of a substantial existence after this life; without this, all faith and hope must perish in death. 2. A resignation and trust of their departing souls into the care and power of God, when they understand not how they could continue in their own conduct. 3. The belief of a future state of blessedness and rest, here called an heavenly country, a city prepared for them by God. 4. Faith of the resurrection of their bodies after death, that their entire persons, which had undergone the pilgrimage of this life, might be instated in eternal rest. For on this their dying in faith, God, after death, was not ashamed to be called their God, ver. 16. Whence our Saviour proves the resurrection of the body, Matt. xxii. 31, 32. And,

Obs. I. It is the glory of true faith, that it will not leave them in whom it is, that it will not cease its actings for their support and comfort in their dying; when the hope of the hypocrite doth perish.And,

Obs. II. The life of faith doth eminently manifest itself in death, when all other reliefs and supports do fail.-And,

Obs. III. That is the crowning act of faith, the great trial of its vigour and wisdom, namely, in what it doth in our dying.-And,

Obs. IV. Hence it is, that many of the saints, both of old and of late, have evidenced the most triumphant actings of faith in the approach of death.

Secondly. The second thing affirmed of them is, that they, un λaßovrεS τας επαγγελίας, ' received not the promises.

1. It is granted, that the promises are here taken for the things promised, επαγγελιας for επαγγελτα. For as unto the promises themselves they saw them, they were persuaded of them, they embraced them; wherefore it cannot be said that they received them not. And of Abraham it is said expressly, that he did receive the promises, ver. 17, as also that all other believers under the old testament did obtain them, ver. 33.

Again, the promises in the plural number is the same with the promise in the singular, ver. 33. For the promise intended was but one; but whereas it is frequently renewed, it is called the promises; as also because of the manifold occasional additions that were made unto it, and declaratory of it.

This promise, or the thing promised, some expositors (as Grotius and his follower) take to be the land of Canaan, which these patriarchs possessed not. But nothing can be more remote from the intention of the apostle; for whilst they received not these promises, the country which they looked after was heavenly. And in the close of this discourse, he affirmeth of them who lived in Canaan in its greatest glory, and pos