[The small volume first issued by the Countess of Huntingdon, contained these Five Sermons; and with them were likewise inserted, as Sermons IV. and V., the first and the last Sermons of the foregoing work, entitled, "A Lifting Up for the Downcast:" thus supplying the little work so popularly known as Bridge's Seven Sermons on Faith.]

SERMONS ON FAITH.

SERMON I.

THE SPIRITUAL ACTINGS OF FAITH THROUGH NATURAL IMPOSSIBILITIES.

"And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb."-Rom. iv. 19. And being not weak [or weakened] in faith, &c.

In this latter part of the chapter ye have the commendation of Abraham's faith; described from the subject or matter of that he believed, in the 18th and 19th verses. From the manner of his believing, "He staggered not (at the 20th verse) at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith," &c. From the cause of his faith, the sight of God's all-sufficiency and faithfulness, " Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform." From the effect of his faith, "He gave glory to God."

First of all for the subject or the matter that he believed, more plainly expressed in the 18th verse: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he should become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be." Aggravated and enlarged in this 19th verse. The matter that he believed was enclosed with many difficulties. He believed that he should be the father of many nations, and that in his seed all the nations of the world should be blessed; herein he had an eye unto Jesus Christ: but now his own body was dead, being about an hundred years old, and Sarah's womb dead; yet notwithstanding, says the text, "Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb."

You will say, How can this be that the apostle here says,

"Abraham considered not his own body being now dead," when we read, Gen. xvii. 17, unto which story this chapter relates, it is said, that "Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed in his heart, and said, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah that is ninety years old, bear?" Did not Abraham here consider the deadness of his own body, and the deadness of Sarah's womb? Why does the apostle say thus then?

Some answer it thus, that the apostle here speaks of the first giving out of the promise unto Abraham, which we read of in the xiith of Genesis; but that cannot be, he was not then an hundred years old: "He considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old." And so it is said he was an hundred years old, in the xviith chapter of Genesis and the 17th verse, therefore it must relate unto that.

Others, they answer it thus, that Abraham indeed at the first did consider his own body, and did doubt through unbelief; but afterwards Abraham recollected himself, and got over that unbelief: but the apostle, he speaks the contrary in the 20th verse," He staggered not at the promise through unbelief."

Others, they answer it, by labouring to find out some mystical interpretation of those words, "Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and shall Sarah that is ninety years old, bear?" as if Abraham, say they, had said thus: Lord, thou hast some secret meaning in these words, I pray thee speak it out unto me, and tell me plainly thy meaning. And therefore, say they, God answered to that purpose in the 19th verse," And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;" I mean according to my words, Sarah shall bear thee a son indeed.

But we need not strain for any mystical interpretation or expression. When Abraham says, "Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old?" Gen. xvii. 17, they are words not of doubting, but words of inquiring; Abraham desiring to be further satisfied, and rightly to understand the meaning of the promise, and rightly understanding the meaning of the promise, says the apostle, he did not much mind, he did not throughly mind, he did not stand poring

upon or considering the deadness of his own body, or the deadness of Sarah's womb.

There are three things, especially, considerable in these words.

First of all, That Abraham's body and Sarah's body are dead, after God gives out a promise of a great seed of his.

Secondly, That notwithstanding this, yet Abraham believed and is commended for it. "He being not weak in the faith, considered not his own body being now dead."

And thirdly, That in all this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ, as I shall shew you afterward. Accordingly I would take up three observations thus:

First, When God intends to fulfil his promise by giving any special blessing to the children of Abraham, he does first of all put the sentence of death upon the blessing, and upon all the means that do lead unto it.

Secondly, That then, and then especially it is the duty of all the children of Abraham to trust in God.

And Thirdly, that no difficulty can stand before faith; true, saving, justifying faith carries the soul through all difficulties, discouragements and natural impossibilities to Jesus Christ.

I begin with the first at this time.

When God intends to fulfil his promise by giving any special blessing to the children of Abraham, to believers, he does first put the sentence of death upon it, and upon all the means that do lead unto it.

A promise of a great seed like the stars of heaven, and the sand upon the sea-shore, is given to Abraham; but before it is fulfilled, Abraham's body is dead, and Sarah's womb dead ; the sentence of death put upon the mercy, and the means that do lead unto it; and herein Abraham is held forth for our example, it was written not for his sake alone, at the 23rd verse, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, at the 24th verse. And as thus it fell out with Abraham, so it falls out with all the children of Abraham, with all believers, when God intends to give any special or great mercy by fulfilling his promise, he does first of all write down the sentence of death upon the mercy, and upon the means that do tend

unto it.

The saints and people of God, they are called the "Redeemed of the Lord,” Isa. lxii. 12., not only because they are redeemed from hell and from wrath, but because that they have their mercies and blessings in a way of redemption; there is a line of that great mercy of redemption that runs through all the mercies which they have; they have health redeemed out of the hand of sickness, they have liberty redeemed out of the hand of straitness, they have peace redeemed out of the hand of war, they have assurance redeemed out of the hand of doubting and unbelief, they have mercy redeemed out of the hand of misery, they have joys and comforts redeemed out of the hand of grief: they are the redeemed of the Lord; whatsoever great mercy or blessing they have, they have it in a way of redemption. Thus it was with Abraham. And was it not thus with Joseph? I shall not have time to speak of the patriarchs all of them, Joseph you know had a promise by way of vision, "That his sheaf should be higher than all the sheaves, and all the sheaves of his brethren should bow down to his," Gen xxxvii., the sun and the moon should bow down before him, his father and mother; this promise was afterward fulfilled when his brethren went down into Egypt, and bowed before him there, and his father went down into Egypt; but first of all Joseph is sold into Egypt, the sentence of death put upon the mercy; the promise did bring forth, but it had a sore and a hard labour first.

And was it not thus with the people of Israel? They had a promise of great increase like the sands of the sea, and that they should be brought into the land of Canaan; first the sentence of death is put upon both these, their males are to be cut off from Egypt, and before they come into Canaan, they must go into a howling wilderness; thus the sentence of death passes first upon the mercy before they do come to it.

And was it not thus with David? David had a kingdom promised him, that he should be the king of Israel, but first of all David must be thrust out of the kingdom, he must into the wilderness, he must be hunted up and down there like a partridge, David must be a traitor first before he can be a king, and David must be a rebel first in the eyes of the king before he can come to the kingdom and to the throne; he