Docf. That a strong faith giveth such a clear sight of Christ as pro- duceth an holy delight and rejoicing in him.
In handling this point —
1. I shall speak of the ground of Abraham's faith.
2. Of the strength of it, set forth by a double effect— (1.) His clear vision and sight of Christ; (2.) His deep affection, or rejoicing in it.
1. The ground of his faith ; for except the thing to be believed be represented to us in a divine revelation, it is not faith but fancy. This
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sure ground was the promise of God. And if you ask, What promise had his faith to work upon ? I answer — That which you have : Gen. xii. 3, ' In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' ' In thee,' that is, in thy seed, as it is explained. Gen. xxii. 18, ' In thy seed shall all the nations of tlie earth be blessed.' Now, to open tbis promise we must inquire — (1.) What this seed was ; (2.) What this blessedness was.
1. What was this seed ? We must distinguish of a twofold seed of Abraham — his seed to whom the blessing was promised, which was to be blessed, and his seed in whom both Abraham himself and also his seed and all nations were to be blessed. The promise of blessing to his seed is spoken of. Gen. xvii. 7, ' I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.' Now this promise to his seed was either to his carnal seed which descended from his loins (God was there God, in visible covenant with them), or his spiritual seed : Gal. iii, 7, ' Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham ; ' because they walked in the steps of Abraham, and did receive and obey the doctrine of faith or covenant of grace which he himself believed and received. But then there was another seed, in whom he himself and all the families of the earth were to be blesj=ed, that is, in the Messiah who was to come, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The promise of multiplication and blessing of his seed was but an appendage of this promise, and the means to effectuate it, and so subservient to it.
2. What was this blessedness ? All that good which resulteth to us from God's covenant ; chiefly reconciliation with God and life eternal.
[1.] Our reconciliation with God, which consists of two parts- remission of sins, and regeneration ; without these two no man can be capable of blessedness, and both these are included in the covenant made with Abraham.
(1.) Eemission of sins. Certainly they are blessed whose sins are forgiven : Ps. xxxii. 1,2,' Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered ; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.' And this is included in the blessing of Abraham ; for it is said, Gal. iii. 8, 'And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.' So that justi- fication by faith, a principal part of which is remission of sins, is that gospel blessing which was purchased by Christ for Abraham's seed.
(2.) Eegeneration was included also, as a considerable part of the Mediator's blessing : Acts iii. 25, 26, ' Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, say- ing unto Abraham, And in thee shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.* There the blessing is interpreted.
[2.] That eternal life is included in it also is evident from the nature of the thing ; for this being the chief blessedness, it cannot be excluded ; and may be further proved from the double reasoning of the apostle from this covenant.
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(1.) Because tlie patriarchs sought it by virtue of this promise : Heb. xi. 13-15, 'All these died iu faith, not having received the pro- mises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a couutry ; and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better countr}^, that is, an heavenly.' The argument is, they did not think themselves to be at home in Canaan, but sojourned there as in a strange country. The apostle is speaking of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were heirs of the same promise, namely, of blessedness in the seed of Abraham; they still sought another place.
(2.) Because else God could not act suitably to the greatness of his covenant love and relation, and did not make good his title : ver. 16, ' Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.' God, having made so rich a preparation for tliem, may be fitly called their God. Note our Saviour's reasoning : Mat. xxii. 31, 32, ' But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.'