cause the sacred writers of the Old Testament, when treating of men, never use the word DSERANG, in the plural number. This difficulty appeared so great to Jerome, that not knowing how to untie the knot, he ventured, though not with sufficient piety, to cut it asunder. He observes, that Paul only made use of this argument with the dull and stupid Galatians, which he knew would not, in other respects, be approved by the prudent and the learned, and therefore forewarned the prudent reader of this, when he said, Brethren, I speak after the manner of men. Jerome's words are as follows: "Whence it is evident, that the apostle performed what he had promised, and did not make use of abstruse meanings, but such as daily occur and are common, and which (had he not premised, after the manner of men) might displease the prudent." But this is giving up the cause to those who despise and ridicule the scripture. The apostle certainly, by the expression mentioned by Jerome, was far from intimating, that, by abusing the stupidity of the Galatians, he would argue less accurately and solidly. This is highly unworthy the gravity of an apostle, and the unsearchable wisdom of the Spirit of God, by whose inspiration he wrote these things. Nor was this epistle written only for the dull and stupid Galatians, if we may call them so, but also for the whole church, to be a directory of faith. He intimated only this, that he was to draw a similitude from human things, in order to explain things divine, and thus compare great things with small.

*

XVIII. And, indeed, as all other things, so these also, appear to me to have been most wisely observed by the apostle. It is certain, that the term seed often sig

* The author's words are, in fidei cynosuram, in which he refers to Cynosura, which was the lesser bear-star, by which the mariners of Tyre and Sidon steered their coursc.

nifies a multitude, but it is a multitude collectively taken and united in one; at least with regard to the first stock or origin. When he speaks of the seed of Abraham, as the seed of the promise, HO EPENGELTAI, which he had promised, to which the same blessings are to flow from the same fountain, it must be considered as one body. If I mistake not, when the apostle says, the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed, he points to the formula of the covenant, which we have Gen. xvii. 7. I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. On this occasion the apostle declares, that seeing all the families of the earth were, in their proper time, to become partakers of this blessing, it was necessary, they should be accounted to the seed of Abraham, and united to him in one body, and, as he speaks, Eph. i. 10. gathered together in one in Christ. But this is not done by circumcision, or the other Jewish ceremonies. For besides that the promise was made to Abraham, while he was yet uncircumcised, and four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law; these ceremonies are the middle wall of partition, which separate the Israelites from the Gentiles, and therefore cannot be the band of union. But this incorporation or coalition is effected by the Spirit of faith, which indissolubly unites believers to Christ the Head, who is the principal seed, and with one another mutually: and thus they all form together one spiritual seed of Abraham, a whole Christ, with his mystical body. For here we take the word Christ in the same sense as 1 Cor. xii. 12. Seeing therefore, as is evident, the promises were made to the spiritual seed of Abraham alone, exclusive of all others; but that spiritual seed ought to have also the same spiritual stock and origin; it must needs form one mystical body, whose head undoubtedly is Christ, from whom all the other members have the

honor to be called. Well therefore did the apostle urge, that by the appellation seed an union was intended, not precisely of person, but of some mystical body, united by faith under the Head Christ. See on this place Drusius, Cameron, Gomarus, Diodati, and others, who explain it of Christ and his mystical body.

XIX. But we are not to overlook a notable diversity of expression, that occurs here. God several times repeats to Abraham, in thee NIBRECHU, shall be blessed all families of the earth, Gen. xii. 3. and xviii. 18. But of the seed of Abraham it is said, And in him shall all nations of the earth bless themselves, Gen. xxii. 18. which is repeated, Gen. xxvi 4. of the seed of Isaac. But surely we are one way blessed in Abraham, and another in his seed, Christ. In Abraham, as the type and exemplar; in Christ, as the meritorious cause and real bestower of the blessing, Eph. i. 3. We are not only blessed, but also bless ourselves in Christ, acknowledging and praising him, as the fountain and source of the blessing flowing down to us: that he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself* the God of truth, Is. lxv. 16.

XX. The corporal or external promises made to Abraham are chiefly three. 1. The multiplication of his seed by Isaac, Gen. xiii. 16. xv. 5. xvii. 2. & xxii. 16. 2. The inheritance of the land of Canaan, Gen. xii. 7. xiii. xv. 17. & xvii. 7. which was fulfilled in the twelve tribes of Israel, especially under David and Solomon ; and afterwards, during the second temple, when all Palestine and Idumea were conquered and subdued by the Jews. 3. The deliverance from the Egyptian bon

* Or in the God Amen; so that our author, with great propriety, quotes this passage, as it is very evident that the blessed seed is called Amen, even the Amen, the true and faithful witness, Rev, iii. 14.

dage, Gen. xv. 13, 14. But we are to observe, that these external promises were types of spiritual and heavenly things. For the multiplication of the carnal seed denoted the great number of spiritual children, both from among the Jews, and the Gentiles, that was to be brought to the faith, Rev. vii. 9. And Canaan was a pledge of heaven; and the deliverance from Egypt signified the deliverance of the church from sin, from the world, the devil, and Babylon.

XXI. But we ought not to omit the fundamentaldoctrine of justification by faith alone, which, at that time, was very much illustrated by the example of Abraham, and the divine declaration concerning him. For thus it is said, Abraham believed in Jehovah, and he. counted it to him for righteousness, Gen. xv. 6. This testimony is the more to be observed, because the apostle frequently uses it, in order to assert the righteousness of faith, Rom. iv. 3. Gal. iii. 6.

XXII. The faith of Abraham had, for its general object, all the promises made to him. He gave glory to God, and was fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was able also to perform, Rom. iv. 20, 21. He therefore believed, and, by faith, embraced the promises of the heavenly and eternal blessing, of the birth of a son from his barren wife, of the multiplication of his seed, both the spiritual and carnal, of the calling of the Gentiles, &c. But more especially he believed that promise, whereby God engaged to be his shield and exceeding great reward, Gen. xv. 1. That is, he relied on God, as the averter of every evil, and the bestower of every good. But in a most especial manner, he believed the promise concerning that seed, who was to be the repository and the cause of the blessing; and he expected, that the Son of God would manifest VOL. II. 3 G

himself in the flesh, which he would assume from his posterity, and thus his faith was in Christ: for he rejoiced to see Christ's day, and he saw it, and was glad, John viii. 56.

XXIII. But this faith, this believing, was imputed unto him for righteousness. Not that the faith of Abraham was, by a gracious estimation, accounted by God in the room of perfect obedience, which the covenant of works required: but that, by his faith, he laid hold on, and spiritually united or appropriated to himself, the promised seed, by virtue of which union, all the righteousness of that seed was reputed to be his righteousness. Thus in the book of God's accounts, the great blessings of God are written on one page, as so many talents bestowed on men: and the sins of men, not rendering to God the thanks due for so great benefits, as so many debts: and lastly, the condemnatory sentence, by which they are declared guilty of eternal death. But as man's own righteousness could not stand on the other page, the satisfaction and merits of Christ for the elect are inscribed, and likewise their faith, as the gratuitous gift of God, and that by which the elect are united to Christ, and become partakers of all his righteousness. And thus upon balancing the account, from their faith it appears, that all their debts are cancelled, and that they have sufficient to give them a right to eternal life. Thus faith is imputed for righteousness. See what we have considered at large, book iii. chap. viii. sect. 42.

XXIV. The promises made to the father, and especially that concerning the seed, in which all nations of the earth were to bless themselves, were not only confirmed to Isaac the son of Abraham Gen. xxvi. 4. but also the doctrine of gratuitous reprobation and most free election, was evidently published in the oracle con