government, to his creatures; wherefore when he will condescend to give us the utmost security and assurance of any thing which our nature is capable of, antecedent to actual enjoyment, by the express engagement of his holiness, veracity, and immutability, he is said to "swear," or confirm his word with his oath.

§5. “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." Abraham was not discomposed or exasperated by his trials so as to wax weary, or to fall off from a dependance on God. The apostle explains fully the meaning of this word, (panço vμia) patient endurance, Rom. iv, 18-21. "Against hope he believed in hope," &c. i. e. continuing in his way, a way of believing, he trusted to the veracity and power of God against all difficulties and opposition. He abode a long season in this condition, waiting on God and trusting to his power. It is not a thing quickly tried whether a man be (μanpoluμos) one that will patiently endure or no. It is not from his deportment under one or two trials that a man can be so denominated. Wherefore this word expresseth the life and spirit of that faith of Abraham, which is here proposed as an example. The end of the whole was that (ETelugE TYS StayTεhias, compos factus est promissionis; obtinuit promissionem) obtained, or enjoyed, the promise. Sundry expositors refer this "obtaining of the promise" to the birth of Isaac; but Isaac was upwards of twenty years old when the promise referred to was confirmed by the oath of God. It cannot therefore be that his birth should be the thing promised. Besides, he twice informs us, chap. xi, ver. 13-19; that the ancient patriarchs, among whom he reckoneth Abraham, received not the promises: wherefore Abraham's obtaining the promise was no more than his enjoyment of the mercy, benefit, and privilege of it in every

state and condition as he was capable. He who is freely justified in Christ, and therewithal made partaker of adoption and sanctification, may well be said to have "obtained the promise." Some things there were therefore in the promises which could not be actually accomplished in his days; such were the birth of the BLESSED SEED, the numerousness and prosperity of his children according to the flesh, and the coming in of a multitude of nations to be his children by faith.

§6. "For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife." The light of nature witnesseth that the ultimate, su preme, and most satisfactory way of confirming what is spoken or promised, is by an oath. And the apostle argueth not merely from what men do by common consent, as it were among themselves, but what the law and order of all things in subjection to God, require. For whereas men ought to acknowledge his supreme government over all, and when their own rites and concerns cannot be determined and peaceably fixed by reason or testimony, or any other instrument whereof they have the use, it is necessary that an appeal be made to God for his interposition, wherein all must acquiesce. This, therefore, being amongst men the highest assurance and ultimate determination of their thoughts, the holy God intending the like assurance in spiritual things, confirms his promise by his oath, that we may know, from what we ourselves ultimately centre in, there can be no accession of security. They swear by a greater, a nature superior to them; in whose power and at whose disposal they are. When one party avers one thing," and another something contradictory, and no evidence ariseth from the matter controverted, there must of necessity be amongst them (avlihoyia atɛipalos) an end

less strife and mutual contradiction, which would quickly bring all things to violence, confusion, and war, if there be no way to bring all parties to an acquiescency. For he who hath peremptorily asserted his right, will not afterwards voluntarily forego it, not only because of the loss of his just claim, as he apprehends, but also of his reputation in making an unjust claim thereto. In such cases an oath is necessary to the government and peace of mankind, as without which strifes must be either perpetual, or else ended by force and violence. This the apostle respects when he saith, "an oath among men is an end of strife." There is, therefore, to a lawful oath required a just occasion, or a strife among men otherwise undeterminable; a lareful rule, or government with power to propose and to judge about the difference on the evidence given, or a mutual consent of persons concerned; and, finally, a solemn invocation of God, as the supreme governor of the world, for the interposition of his omniscience and power, to supply the defects and weaknesses of the rules and rulers of human society. This brings in the end of an oath among men, (@epas avoyies) a termination of strife; that is, to put bounds and limits to contentions and mutual contradictions: the way whereby this is done is by interposing the oath (ε bebaiwow) for confirmation; for the avowing of the truth, rendering it firm and stable in the minds of men, which before did fluctuate about it.

If this be the nature, use, and end of an oath amongst men; if under the conduct of natural light, they thus issue all their differences, certainly the oath of God must of necessity be the most effectual means to issue all differences between him and believers, and to establish their souls in the faith of his promises against all difficulties whatever.

$7. (II.) Obs. 1. We have need of every thing that may evidence the stability of God's promises to be presented to us, for the encouragement and confirmation of our faith. As God redoubled the word to Abraham for the strengthening of his faith, so he does here by the apostle, that it might have the same effect úpon us, while it intimates the sincerity of his intentions without reserve, and the stability of his purposes without alteration; and these things we have need of. If we think otherwise, we know little of the nature of faith, of our own weakness, the efficacy of the deceits of Satan, or the manifold oppositions which rise up against believing.

§8. Obs. 2. The grant and communication of spiritual privileges is a mere act or effect of sovereign grace. Even Abraham, who was so exalted by spiritual privileges, seems originally to have been tainted with the common idolatry which was then in the world, Josh. xxiv, 2, 3. "Your father dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood." It is true, the charge is express against Terah only; but it lieth against their fathers in general on the other side of the flood, and it being added that God took Abraham from the other side of the flood, he seems to have been involved in the guilt of the same sin whilst he was in his father's house before his call. As it was with Abraham, so it is with all those who in any age are made partakers of grace, or even spiritual privileges.

$9. Obs. 3. Where the promise of God is absolutely engaged, it will break through all difficulties and oppositions to a perfect accomplishment. No promise of God shall ever fail, or be of none effect. We may

fail, or come short of the promise, by our unbelief; but the promises themselves shall never fail. There have been great seasons of trial in many ages, wherein the faith of believers hath been exercised to the utmost about the accomplishment of the promises, (and eminently in the case of Abraham,) but the faithfulness of God in them all hath hitherto been victorious, and will be so for ever. Here remark:

(1.) In all ages the faith of true believers hath been greatly and peculiarly exercised; which hath been of singular advantage to the church. For the exercise of faith is that whereon the flourishing of all other graces doth depend. And from hence there hath been a treasure of fervent prayers laid up from the beginning, which shall in their proper season have a fruitful

return.

(2.) Hence it was that in most ages of the church there have been mockers and scoffers, saying, "Where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as from the beginning of the creation," 2 Pet. iii, 4. The "fathers" were they who received the promises; especially that of the coming of Christ. The sum of what they so declared was, that the elect of God should be delivered, and that judgment should be executed on ungodly men, by the coming of the Lord, Jude xiv, 15. But what now is become of these "fathers," with all their "promises" and preachments concerning them? Thus they scoff at all who dare own their expectation.

(3.) Some through haste and precipitation have fallen into manifold mistakes about the promise on the same account. Some have feigned to themselves other things than God ever promised; as the generali ty of the Jews looked for a carnal rule, glory and dominion, at the coming of the Messiah, which proved