Genesis 15

3. A man in the dark is in danger every step he goes; so a man in the state of nature is in danger every step, of falling into hell. Thus it is before Christ teaches us; indeed, the darkness in which a sinner is, while in an unregenerate state, is worse than natural darkness; fo…

Will God speak peace to us when our minds are wandering, and our thoughts are traveling to the ends of the earth (Proverbs 17:24)? If ever you would hear the Word with attention, do as Abraham, he drove away the fowls from the sacrifice (Genesis 15:11). So when we find these exc…

Give attention to the Word as to a matter of life and death: and to that purpose, have a care, (1.) To banish vain impertinent thoughts, which will distract you, and take you off from the work in hand. These fowls will be coming to the sacrifice (Genesis 15:11), therefore we mus…

O be ambitious of pardoning grace. When God had made Abraham great and large promises, Abraham replies, Lord what is all, seeing I go childless? (Genesis 15:2). So when God has given you riches, and all your heart can wish, say to him, Lord, what is all this, seeing I want forgi…

Thirdly, darkness is exceedingly terrible and full of horror. When children are in the dark, they think they see fearful sights; it is therefore called 'the horror of darkness' (Genesis 15:12). So his soul here may be filled with fears and terrors from God's wrath, and of God be…

Secondly, Abraham inherited Canaan in his posterity. For though God promised it to himself, when he was 75 years old, Genesis 12:4, and to him and to his seed, Genesis 15:7: Yet neither he nor his immediate seed enjoyed it, but his posterity the Israelites, 430 years after the p…

Here we may observe a most notable work of faith: it makes a man to keep in memory the merciful promises which God has made unto him. This is it which commends Josephs faith for a lively faith, That being about to die, he remembers this merciful promise of God, made to his foref…

Not but that other things also are of as great number; as, the drops of water, dust of the earth, and hairs of men's heads, etc.: but these two are most common, and proverbial phrases, whereby to express a multitude. And again, the stars of the sky are rather named than any othe…

What is a city, but an aggregation and heap of houses and inhabitants? Multitudes had died before Abraham, and gone to heaven, from Adam, Abel, Seth, downwards; and God promises him peace at his death, and a being gathered to those fathers (Genesis 15:15). There was then a city…

And so the proof of this fourth particular, will add further strength and confirmation to that we presented in the former. Now that his being our God (which is the substance of the Covenant of Grace) does engage him to provide glory for separate souls, that one instance of Abrah…

It is the procurement of the mediator that it pleads upon, and in this sense, the imputed righteousness of Christ, and the righteousness of faith are one and the same, because faith takes hold of the righteousness without us, which can be no other but the righteousness of Christ…

Second, that they were to trust to the merit of their own works, or seek righteousness in themselves, more than we? Third, or that they believed not, or that their faith was not counted to them for righteousness, as it is with us (Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:3-8; Psalm 32:1-2)? Fou…

It is true, the word, the works of God, are not the principal object of faith, nor objectum quod; faith rests only on God, and the Lord Jesus (John 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:8). Your faith toward God (1 Peter 1:21; Deuteronomy 1:32; John 3:12; Genesis 15:6; Daniel 6:23; Romans 4:3…

(Revelation 1:17) When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. Abraham was cast into great horror (Genesis 15:12) when God appeared solemnly to enter into covenant with him. So (Isaiah 6:5) Then I said, woe is me, for I am undone.

Scribes and Pharisees have their reward from men, from men they expect it: Saints expect their reward from God, and God gives it them: Men reward them evil for their good will, and they expect no better: If better come from men, they own it as a gratuity sent from their Father:…

Now he adds the example of Abraham, and rehearses the testimony of the scripture. The first is out of Genesis (Genesis 15:6): Abraham believed God, etc. This place the Apostle here mightily prosecutes, as also he does in his epistle to the Romans (Romans 4:2-3).

The first is, the occasion, which was on this manner. After the conquest of the heathen kings, Abraham was still in some fear: in this regard the Lord comforts him (Genesis 15:1). I am your buckler, and your exceeding great reward.

Lastly, it crosses the wicked conceit and imagination of those men, that sing a requiem to their souls, in promising to themselves an impunity from sin, and an immunity from all the judgments of God, notwithstanding they go on in their bad practices; and all because God does not…

He now prevents an objection which might be made against this doctrine, to wit, it seems strange that the Lord should call those nations to him which were far off before: as if they should say, Has God then chosen the posterity of Abraham in vain? Shall his promises so often rep…

Others supposed that Cyrus did but dally with them, only permitting them to go, that having gauged and sounded the depth of their affections, he might take occasion thereby to oppress them and deal the more severely with them, not considering that those things which the Lord had…

He therefore brings them to their original; to teach them that however they were but a small handful now, yet God was able to increase and multiply them. Then he commands them to look to their father Abraham, who being but one man, yet grew into a great number, and God gave him…

He calls them mercies of David, because this covenant which was now so solemnly confirmed, was made in David's hand. True it is that the Lord made the covenant first with Abraham (Genesis 15:5 and 17:7), and afterwards confirmed it by Moses (Exodus 3:15), and lastly he establish…

Under the word Eunuch, by the figure Synecdoche, he comprehends all those that bore any note of infamy upon them, which might be an occasion to separate them from God's people. For it seemed that the eunuchs, and such as had no children, were rejected of God, and excluded out of…

Others think more correctly that the multiplication of the holy people was happy and blessed, as was said to Abraham, "I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth," (Genesis 13:16;) and again, "Tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: so shall thy seed be," (Genesis 15:…

The Greek word μετοικεσία, which the old translator renders transmigration, and Erasmus renders exile, literally signifies a change of habitation. The meaning is, that the Jews were compelled to leave their country, and to dwell as "strangers in a land that was not theirs," (Gen…

And two things are contained herein; (1.) That we do all things to his Glory. This is the proper End of all the Acts and Actings of this Life, Rom. 14. 7, 8. (2.) That we design in and by it, to come to the eternal enjoyment of him, as our Blessedness and Reward, Gen. 15. 1. (5.…

(1.) What a mercy was it to us, to have Parents that prayed for us before they had us, as well as in our Infancy, when we could not pray for our selves? Thus did Abraham, Genesis 15:2 and Hannah, 1 Samuel 1. 10, 11. and some here likely are the fruits and returns of their Parent…

Christ Jesus the Son of God, the head of the church, had all Afflictions gathered into an head in him; and yet the father alwaies loved him, and was alwaies well pleased with him. When God solemnly renewed his covenant with Abraham, and he had prepared the sacrifice whereby it w…

The true treasure then (to let the other passe) is in a word, the trueGod, that one only eternal essence in three persons, who made all things and gouernes all things; in him alone is all goodnesse and happines to be found. Gen. 15. 1. I am your buckler, and yours exceeding grea…

And then the great condition of the covenant of grace, which is faith, was now more fully made known. Genesis 15:5, 6 "And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

The land that God had often promised to their fathers, included all the countries from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. These were the bounds of the land promised to Abraham, Genesis 15:18. "In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, Unto thy seed…

The wicked also have their ripening time for hell, and judgment; God does with much long-suffering endure the vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction. Of their ripeness for judgment the Scripture often speaks (Genesis 15:16): The sin of the Amorites is not yet full. And of Ba…

FOr the first: Gods people, although dear and precious in his eyes, yet they have usually been an afflicted people in all generations unto this day. When God was making his Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 15:12 at the going down of the Sun a deep sleep fell upon him: and lo, a horro…

As for the pleasures of the flesh, they do infect and defile the soul, and make it unfit for the hearing of such things, we had need of spiritual ears to hear them. God says to Abraham in Genes. 13:16 I will make your seed to be as the dust of the earth: afterward in Gen. 15:5 h…

He rejoices in him who was to take away the curse, by being made a curse for us. When Abraham was in the height of his glory, returning from the conquest of the kings of the east, that came against the confederate kings of the vale of Sodom, God appears to him with a glorious pr…

God will say, Seeing you sinned with the Multitude, you shall go to Hell with the Multitude. O let us keep pure among dregs; let us be like Fish that retain their freshness in salt waters; and as that Lamp which shined in the smoaking Furnace, Genesis 15:17. Consider, 1. To be h…

Yet he could say, the Lord was his Portion, Psalm 16:5. God is an exceeding great reward, Genesis 15:1. He is a whole Paradise of delight—Bonum in quo omnia bona—He who has God for his God, all his Estate lies in Jewels.

Faith is lean, unless it be fed with meditation on the promises (Psalm 119:92): I had fainted in my affliction, unless your word had been my delight. Hope is not lively, unless we contemplate the thing hoped for, and with Abraham walk through the Land of Promise (Genesis 15), an…

It is said (Acts 7:17), 'When the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt.' The promise is recorded (Genesis 15:5) of multiplying his seed like the stars of heaven. Abraham was seventy-five years old when the promise…

That is one notion we apprehend him by, that he is God all-sufficient (Genesis 17:1), or that he has all things at command, to do for us as our necessities shall require (Psalm 84:11), For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will…

Secondly, That the same common promises have been fulfilled to the faithful in all ages. First, That some promises have been received by one generation, and fulfilled in another, when the matter so required; as for instance, Israel's going out of Egypt (Genesis 15:13-14). And he…

Jeremiah 31:33: "This is the [reconstructed: covenant] that I will make with the house of Israel, I will [reconstructed: put] my laws in their hearts, and in their inward [reconstructed: parts] will I put them." Look to the Covenant as made [reconstructed: with] Adam (Genesis 3:…

(Acts 10:43) To him gave all the Prophets witness, that through his Name, whoever believes in him, shall receive remission of sins. Abraham and David were justified, in that sin was not imputed to them, not by works (Romans 4:1-9, etc.; Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:1-2, 5). I said I w…

Ans. The same Christ was their Mediator, as ours (Hebrews 13:8), their Rock and our Rock, Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-6; John 8:56). (2.) We are justified as Abraham, and David (Romans 4:1-5; Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:1-2). 3. They were saved by grace, the Gentiles as well as they (…

What seed? The visible seed: And the Levites that minister to me, will I multiply: He alludes to the promise made to Abraham, of multiplying his seed (Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:5; [reconstructed: Genesis 22:17]). And this promise made to Abraham (says Calvin) belongs to them all…

And therefore it is most absurd to make the faith of Abraham all one in nature with the faith of Devils and Hypocrites, and to make the difference only in having works, and no works, as if there were the same heart leaning, soul rolling, and cleaving to the Lord by faith in Abra…

(2.) There is a piece of unseen willfulness in unbelief, and two refusals in it, as we see in Thomas (John 20:25), as there is a mass of sanctified will required in sincere faith (Romans 10:9-10) (Mark 9:24), and so resistance must be made to that blind impulse of will in unbeli…

Which he also foresignified by many sacrifices, and other types with prophetical predictions, for of this salvation the Prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Chri…

(3) Some in a peculiar manner fix their souls in Believing on the promises. And this is exemplified in the instance of Abraham, Genesis 15:16. Romans 4:20.

(5) The only safe rule of interpreting the meaning of the apostle next unto the scope and design of his present discourse, which he makes manifest in the reiterated proposition of it, and the scope of the places, matter of fact, with its circumstances which he refers unto, and t…