Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Verſ. 1. Fear not Abram]
EIther as Daniel feared upon ſight of a like viſion, Dan. 10.7, 8. Or as Jacob feared after the ſack of Shechem, leſt he ſhould be ſet upon by thoſe whom he had lately diſcomfited. Or, fear not leſt thou ſhalt dye childleſs; which ſeemeth to be that that chiefly affrighted and afflicted him at this time. The heart is not in caſe to receive promiſes, till freed of falſe fears. Theſe are quelled and killed by faith onelyonly. [I am thy ſhield] From the envy of thy neighbours, and enmity of others, whom thou haſt lately vanquiſhed; yea I will deliver thee from all danger, as I have done from this. See a like promiſe to all beleevers, Pſal. 115.9, 10, 11. The ſhield is betwixt the body, and the thruſt; ſo is God betwixt his and harm. He beareth them as on Eagles wings: The Eagle fleeth with her young on her back; Deut. 32.11. Aquilae pullos ſuos in ali… portant; alites reliqui…ter pedes. Munſter. in Scho. ex Rab. Salom.there's no ſhooting them but through her body: no more can any devoratory evill (as Tertullians phraſe is) befall the Saints, but through God. [And thy exceeding great reward] So that thou ſhalt loſe nothing, by refuſing the King of Sodoms offer. God is a liberall pay-maſter, and his retributions are more then bountifull. A hundred fold here, and heaven hereafter. Not onelyonly Caleb ſhall have Hebron for his valour; but Nebuchadnezzar ſhall have Egypt, as his pay, for his pains at Tyre. Never ask with Peter, What ſhall we have? you ſhall have whatever heart can wiſh, or need require. The world gives hard wages; but Gods reward is exceeding great. He will alſo recompence our loſſes for his ſake, as the King of Poland did his noble ſervant Zelilaus; having loſt his hand in his wars, Cromerus.he ſent him a golden hand for it. So Caius gave Agrippa that had been impriſoned for his ſake, a chain of gold as heavy as his chain of iron had been.
Verſ. 2. Lord God, what wilt thou give me, &c.] Dominator Johovah. Adonai cum Camets ſonat Dominator: A ſtately ſtile. We muſt magnifie God, when we have got him into our hearts, and inlarge his room there, when we conceive of him, as much as may be: Do our utmoſt, and then ſay, Claudicat ingenium, Lucr…t.delirat linguaque, menſque. [Seeing I goe childleſs] He had no great joy of his former victory, or the preſent promiſe, becauſe childleſs. His mouth was ſo out of taſte with the ſenſe of this want, that he could reliſh no comfort. This was his fault, and is often ours: Like children, if we have not that peece we would have, we grow ſullen, and will have none. Had not God been to Abraham inſtead of ten children? Is he not All in All to his? [And the ſteward of my houſe] Filius diſcurſitationis, vel derelictionis domus m…ae He that now runs about my buſineſs, and to whom I am likely to leave all. A faithfull ſteward he was, and fearing God, Prov. 22.29.Gen. 24.2, 3. &c. and therefore might look not to live long in a low place. [This Eliezer of Damaſcus] Or Eliazar, as Exod. 6.25. Whence Lazarus, ſaid in the parable to be in Abrahams boſome, Luke 16.23. as dear to him, and ſet next him in heaven.
Verſ. 3. And Abram ſaid, Behold to me, &c.] He harps again upon the ſame ſtring; when we fall upon croſſes, we adde, we multiply, we riſe in our diſcourſe, we are eloquent above meaſure, and beyond truth ſometimes. But how comes Abram to ſpeak thus to God once and again? In former viſions God onelyonly ſpake, here Abram anſwers It appears he grew in an holy familiarity with the divine Majeſty, and an humble boldneſs, as Cajetan here obſerveth.
Verſ. 4. And behold the word of the Lord &c.] Abrams Behold of griefe, is anſwered with Gods Behold, of grace. The Greek rendreth it, And ſtraightway. God was ſtraight at hand to help Abrams infirmity, and to raiſe up his faith that began to flag and hang the wing, as the beſt faith will, if long put to't. Adeò nihil eſt in nobis magni, quod non queat minui.
Verſ. 5. And he brought him forth abroad] Abram having prayed a good part of the day within, Joh. 16.24. 1 Theſ. 5.16, 17is now drawn forth at night to receive the promiſe. Pray that ye may joy, ſaith Chriſt: And, if ye will rejoyce evermore, Pray continually, ſaith the Apoſtle. [If thou be able to number them] Then maiſt thou number thy poſterity; and they, their priviledges. It is God onelyonly that counteth the ſtars, and calleth them all by names, Pſal. 147.4. No man can number them, Jer. 33.22. And yet Aratus and Eudoxus vainly vaunted (ſaith St. Auguſtin) that they had caſt up the ſtars, Aug de Civ. Det. l. 16.and could call them all by their names.
Verſ. 6. And he beleeved] When thus the promiſe was repeated. So needfull it is, that the word ſhould be often preached, and the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpell beaten to the ſmell; that Gods name being as an oyntment poured out, The Virgins may love him, beleeve in him, Cant. 1.3. 1 Pet. 1.8.and rejoyce with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory. [And he counted it to him for righteouſneſs] This imputative righteouſneſs the Papiſts ſcoffe at, calling it putative, or imaginary. This the Jews alſo jear at, to this day, as their Fathers did of old, Rom. 10.2, 3. ſo do they. For being asked, whether they beleeve to be ſaved by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed to them? they anſwer, That every Fox muſt pay his own skin to the Fleaer. But is not Chriſt called, Jer. 23.6.in their law, Jehovah our righteouſneſs? And how ſo, but by means of that imputation ſo often hammered on by the Apoſtle? Rom. 4. adding after all, that what is ſaid here of Abram, is not written for his ſake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us alſo, to whom it ſhall be imputed, if we beleeve on him that raiſed up Jeſus, &c. Rom. 4.24. If Adams ſin be mine, though I committed it not; why ſhould it ſeem ſo ſtrange, that the merit of Chriſts intire obedience ſhould by the like means be mine, though I wrought it not? See Rom. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.19. If he hath wronged thee ought, reckon that to me, ſaid Paul to Philemon, Philem. 18.concerning Oneſimus; ſaith Chriſt to his Father, concerning us. And (to ſtop the Papiſts mouth.) If another mans faith may benefit Infants at their Baptiſme, as Bellarmine affirmeth; why ſhould it ſeem ſo abſurd, that beleevers ſhould be benefited by Chriſts righteouſneſs imputed?
Verſ. 7. I am the Lord that brought thee] Let the remembrance of what I have done for thee, confirme thy confidence, ſith every former mercy, is a pledge of a future. God giveth after he hath given, as the ſpring runneth, after it hath run: And as the eye is not weary of ſeeing, nor the ear of hearing, no more is God of doing good to his people. Draw out thy loving kindneſs, Pſal. 36.10.ſaith David, as a continued ſeries or chain, where one linke draws on another to the utmoſt length.
Verſ. 8. Lord God whereby ſhall I know] He deſires aſſign, not that he beleeved not before, but that he might better beleeve. How great is Gods love in giving us Sacraments, and therein to make himſelf to us viſible, as well as audible?
Verſ. 9. Take me an heifer, &c.] Here God commands him abuſie ſacrifice, and then caſts him into a terrible ſleep; the better to prepare him to receive the enſuing oracle, and to teach him, that he may not raſhly ruſh upon divine myſteries. Heathens could ſay, Non loquendum de Deo abſque lumine; that is, Pythag…ra….without praemeditation and adviſed conſideration.
Verſ. 10. Divided them in the midſt] In ſignum exitii foedifrago eventuri. This was the federall rite both among Jews, Jer. 34.18, 19. and Gentiles, as is to be ſeen in Virgil, Aeneid. l. 8.deſcribing the covenant of Romulus and Tatius. foreignGod alſo threatneth to cut the evill ſervant in twain; that forgetteth the Covenant of his God, Matth. 24. Theſe diſſected creatures are the oppreſſed Iſraelites; the parts laid each againſt other, ſignifie, that God will make them up again, though diſ…jected; the fowls that came down upon them, are the Egyptians; Abrams huffing of them away, is their deliverance by Moſes after foure hundred years, ſignified by thoſe foure kindes of creatures, as Luther interpreteth.
Verſ. 12. And when the Sun was going down] Heb. when he was ready to enter, to wit, into his Bride chamber, Pſal. 19 6.
Verſ. 13. Know of a ſurety that thy ſeed] Muſt firſt ſuffer, before they can enter; and ſo be conformed to Chriſt their Captain, Heb. 5.9.who was perfected by ſufferings, and came not to the Crown, but by the Croſſe. Diſſicile eſt ut praſemibus bonis quis fruatur & futuris; ut hic ventrem, illi… mentem reſiciat ut de delici…s ad delicias tranſeat; ut in coelo & in terra glorioſus appareat, ſaith St. Hierome. Erigito tibi ſcalam Aco…, & ſolus aſcen…ito. Conſtant. Mag.Through many tribulations we muſt enter into heaven. He that will goe any other way, let him (as the Emperour ſaid to the H… retick) erect a ladder, and go up alone.
Verſ. 14. Afterward they ſhall come out, &c.] All the Saints abaſements, are but in order to their advancement. As God brought forth his Iſrael with jewels, and other wealth; ſo the afflicted Church, and toſſed with tempeſt, ſhall build her walls, and lay her foundations with Sapphires, and Agates, Eſa. 54.11, 12. See Eſa. 62.3.4.
Verſ. 15. Thou ſhalt go to thy fathers] The ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; all the court of Heaven ſhall meet thee and welcome thee into their ſociety, that brave Panegyris, Heb. 12.22, 23. [In peace] So Joſiah did, Bellum, cui nos inſtamus pax eſt, non bellum. Zuingl. apud Melch. Adam. Prov. 16.31.though he dyed in battle, according to the promiſe, 2 Chron. 34.28. God made war to be peace to him [In a good old age] Heb. With a good hoar head, which is a Crown, when found in the way of righteouſneſs.
Verſ. 16. The iniquity of the Amorites, &c.] A metaphor from a large veſſell filled by drops; as elſewhere, from an harveſt ready for the ſickle, and from the vine ripe for the wine-preſs. Pererius the Jeſuit writing upon this text ſaith, Perer. in loc.If any marvell why England continueth to flouriſh, notwithſtanding the cruell perſecution of Catholikes there? (juſt execution of Cacolikes he ſhould have ſaid) Anſwers becauſe their ſin is not yet full. (God grant it, Jer. 28.6.) Sed veniet tandem iniquitatis complementum, ſaith he. Ezek. 7.6, 7, 10A true Prophet, I fear me. That terrible text rings in mine ears, An end is come, the end is come, it watcheth for thee, behold it is come, it is come.