A second cause of life is a word of promise; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, only the seed of promise, such as are begot of a word of promise, as Isaac was, and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac only, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promise, Gal. 4.28. But yet Isaac had the peculiar, in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah: But the Apostle would thereby infer, that all our spiritual birth, is by a word of promise. Here therefore try thy life, thou sayest thou livest, but what word of promise wert thou begot of? Faith comes by hearing, Rom: 10 17. Gal. 3.5. There is some word of promise dispersed in the word preached, which the soul lays hold of, and is thereby knit to Christ by faith: Indeed, many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of, yet sure it was by a word of promise; and though thou dost not know this promise, yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise, which shows plainly that he was bred of a promise which is fed by a promise. Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart, as that it makes many a one amend his wicked ways, ⟨p. 397⟩and take better courses, and reform his life; but this is no evident sign of spiritual life. So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life, and yet without all power of godliness, and the ground is, we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law, it's altogether impossible, Gal. 3.21. All true spiritual life is from some word of promise that hath been dispensed to us in the Word. The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence, but yet without all respect or obedience to God. But when we are quickened by a word of promise, then the love of God constraineth us.
A second cause of life is a word of promise; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, onely the seed of promise, such as are begot of a word of promise, as Isaac was, and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac onely, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promise, Gal. 4.28. But yet Isaac had the peculiar, in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah: But the Apostle would thereby inferre, that all our spirituall birth, is by a word of promise. Here therefore try thy life, thou sayst thou livest, but what word of promise wert thou begot of? Faith comes by hearing, Rom: 10 17. Gal. 3.5. There is some word of promise dispears•d in the word preached, which the soul layes hold of, and is thereby knit to Christ by faith: Indeed, many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of, yet sure it was by a word of promise; and though thou dost not know this promise, yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise, which shews plainly that he was bred of a promise which is fed by a promise. Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart, as that it makes many a one amend his wicked wayes, ⟨p. 397⟩and take better courses, and reform his life; but this is no evident signe of spirituall life. So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life, and yet without all power of godlinesse, and the ground is, we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law, it's altogether impossible, Gal. 3.21. All true spirituall life is from some word of promise that hath been dispen•ed to us in the Word. The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence, but yet without all respect or obedience to God. But when we are quickened by a word of promise, then the love of God constraineth us.
