Reflections on our obligations to steadfastness. XV. 83 treading under foot the Son of God, or doing despite unto the Spirit sECT: of grace. On the contrary, let us ever retain the most reverent affection for the Son of God, and ever cherish the influences of the Spirit. So shall we avoid the threatened vengeance, and 29 escape that infinitely dreadful thing, the falling into the hands of 31 the living God. verse To have experienced in any degree the power and efficacy of religion, is the great preservative against apostasy. They who have already, like those believing Hebrews, made great sacrifices 32 to their conscience, ought to feel the force of the obligation. The struggles through which they have already passed, the combats they have already maintained, should have a powerful influence on their future resolution, that they may not stain the lustre of their former victories. If such trials be appointed for us, may our faith be proportionably strengthened; that we may take joyfully, not only the spoil- 34 ing of our goods, but the torture of our bodies; knowing that we have in heaven a better and more enduring substance than worldly wealth, and a far more glorious abode than these tabernacles of clay. Let the recompense of reward be kept continually in our 36 view; that thereby that patience may be supported, of which we ever stand is such evident need, that after we have done the will of God, we may go to inherit the promises. Let the certain and speedy approach of him that is to come, 37 daily comfort us, and confirm the faith by which we live; and let us still pour out our fervent supplications before God, that we may not draw back, which if we do, it will be infinitely fatal. Then instead of beholding us with complacency, God's soul will 38 abhor us; and that abhorrence will be proportionable to our violated engagements, and dishonoured profession. Perdition pursues our retreat. Let every consideration therefore, of honour, of gratitude, of interest, and of safety, concur to urge us on, and to support the steadiness of our faith, till we receive the glorious 39 crown of it, in the complete salvation of our souls. SECT. XVI. The apostle enters on a discourse, in which he proposes to the Hebrews, illustrious examples of faith, which had appeared in holy men mentioned in their scriptures, and particularly in Abel, Enoch, Noah; and Abraham and Sarah. Heb. XI. 1-16. HEBREWS XI. 1. WOW faith is HEBREWS XI. 1. xvi. N the substance of HAVE spoken of the faith by which the SECT. I just shall live; and that I may excite you to cultivate that blessed principle more and Heb. more, let me now enter into a more distinct xi. 1 VOL. 6. 12 84 By faith we learn, the worlds were made by the word of God. SECT. Consideration of it, and set before your eyes, things hoped for, the xvi. O ye believing Hebrews, some glorious ex- evidence of things amples of it, with which your sacred his- not seen. xi: 1 tory abounds. Heb. 2 3 To consider it then in its na ture; faith is the confident expectation of things 2 For by it the the worlds were 3 Through faith By faith we understand that the worlds were adjusted by the word of God, and the several we understand that revolutions of them directed by the operations framed by the word of his secret providence, as the whole universe of God, so that was at first created by his power, wisdom, and things which are goodness, and the things which are seen, were of things which do not made of things which do appear: it is appear. a Confident expectation.] Compare 2 Cor. ix. 4; Heb. iii. 14; where the word Usa, is used in this sense; and Raphelius has confirmed it by some pertinent quotations from Polybius. b The powerful conviction of things nat seen ; ελεγχος των βλεπομένων.] Ελεγχος, it hath been observed by many learned men, and particularly by Raphelius in loc. is a strict proof or demonstration, that is, saith Mr. Hallet, such a kind of reason and argument, as both convinces the understand. ing, and engages a man to act according to that conviction. Accordingly I have rendered it by the word conviction, which I think properly expresses the apostle's meaning. That the worlds were adjusted by the word of God.] As the original word is dives, I was once inclined to have rendered it, the various ages of the world were adjusted; and I have included this sense in the paraphrase. But it does not so evidently appear, that the consequence, relating to things not being made by those that appear, could be deduced from that principle; I therefore conclude upon the whole, that this is an instance where seen were not made av signifies world; as it is often translated in the New Testament. Bishop Pearson would translate it, were made of things which do not appear, that is, made out of nothing, without any preexistent matter, before God created the worlds. Pearson on the Creed, p. 58. : As the things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear is to fess ex parvoμerov, n. T. λ.] Our translators have rendered this clause, So that the things which are seen, &c. But this does not seem to be sufficiently agreeable either to the original, or to the design of the apostle ; which was not to deduce the sentiment contained in the latter clause as an inference from the former; but rather to establish the position in the first part of the verse, by the principle laid down in the latter. Accordingly, I have given it this turn in the paraphrase, and have taken the liberty to translate s ro, &c. which clearly expresses, I apprehend, the apostle's intention. as, The construction of Rom. iv. 16, is somewhat similar to this; Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace, δια τέτο εκ πίςεως ένα καλά χαριν, that is, "that it might appear to be of Faith illustrated in the case of Abel and Enoch : 4 By faith Abel 85 Heb. certain no visible cause could produce these sECT. things, which would be in effect to suppose them xvi. to have produced themselves; we therefore by faith refer them to a Divine invisible original. xi. 3 And this happy and sublime principle hath 4 offered unto God a wrought even from the beginning of the world, more excellent sac- and animated good men to actions most pleaswhich he obtained ing to God, and honourable to themselves. witness, that he was was, for instance, by faith that Abel offered to righteous, God tes- God a greater and more acceptable sacrifice tifying of his gifts: and by it he being than Cain, by means of which he obtained a tesdead, yet speaketh. timony that he was righteous; God, by the vis rifice than Cain, by 5 By faith Enoch It ible tokens of his favour, bearing witness to By faith the celebrated patriarch Enoch was, 5 was translated, that in a miraculous manner, translated from among men; so that he should not see death; and he was not found any longer among the inhab he should not see death; and was not grace, as we have already proved it is." The apostle's intention was, by the latter clause as an incontested principle to establish what he now wanted to prove, namely, that justification was by faith; and this he does from the consideration of its being by grace. It may be proper to consult Mr. Hallet on Heb. xi. 3, note 9, who refers to Eph. i. 12; and 1 Cor. x. 6, where the apostle's words us ro, &c. cannot signify any thing but to the intent that. A greater and more excellent sacrifice.] A late ingenious writer, Mr. Kennicott, (in his Two dissertations on the Tree of Life, and the Oblations of Cain and Abel, p. 197,) has inferred from the word sova Juosav, which may be rendered a greater or fuller sacrifice, that Cain contented himself with presenting only the mincha, or bread of fering, without a victim; whereas Abel sacrificed both, and by presenting a lamb, shewed his faith in the great sacrifice of the lamb of God. After all that has been offered to the contrary, I must think that the Divine original of sacrifices is strongly insinuated in this place. Dead, yet speaketh.] Some would render it, And for this they say he died, that is, there is a tradition that he was massacred by Cain, in a dispute about the recompense of a future life, which faith proposes. Saurin's Sermons, Vol. IX. p. 54. I rather think it refers to the testimony borne, as it were, to a future state by his story, as he was so excellent a person, and visibly approved by God, yet left to suffer by the cruelty of Some would render his wicked brother. zaneslas, he is spoken of to this day, as a person of most eminent piety and goodness. 8 Was not found.] The circumstances of his translation are not mentioned; but some have thought this intimates he was privately translated, and sought for, as Elijah afterwards was, 2 Kings ii. 17. 86 Heb. xi. 5 By faith Noah prepared an ark for saving his house. for before his trans SECT. itants of this lower world, because God had found, because God xvi. translated him to the celestial regions, in a had translated him ; manner before altogether unexampled, nor lation he had this ever since equalled among mortals, but in the testimony, that he single instance of Elijah. And God thus trans- pleased God. lated him, not only because he had a regard for his character, but because he would by such an interposition, give a visible and very important lesson to others, to seek and secure his favour by the exercise of such a disposition. For before his translation, he obtained witness that he pleased God; preceding tokens were given of God's favourable regards to him; and that character is expressed by the sacred historian, when it is said, (Gen. v. 24,) that Enoch walked with God; that is, he maintained a constant regard to him, and received the indication of his favour; so that there subsisted a holy intercourse and friendship between God and 6 Enoch. please him for he But without a sincere faith, as the 6 But without faith great principle fo action [it is] absolutely impos- it is impossible to sible to please [him ; for he who approacheth to that cometh to God, God, and pretends to walk with him,h must, as must believe that he the foundation of that intercourse, firmly be- is, and that he is a lieve that he exists, and [that] he is the rewarder rewarder of them that diligently seek of them that diligently seek him, and will bestow him. some peculiar and important blessings upon them. For where there are no such expectations as these, the soul cannot be animated to the labours and struggles of a truly religious life. 7 By faith the patriarch Noah, the second common ancestor of mankind, being admonished by a Divine oracle, concerning things which were as yet, moved with not yet seen, and things of such a nature, that no one had ever seen or heard of any thing parallel to them, the dissolution of the world by a flood, and the destruction of all its inhabitants, believed and revered the awful threatening. And being impressed with a pious, and in that connection, most rational fear of the Divine h Approacheth to God, and pretends to walk with him.] Raphelius hath shewn, that the original word @popxoμevov is applied in the Greek classics, to coming to God by prayer; and it is used in chap. x. 1, 22; and xii. 22, 23; for approaching to God in any act of Divine worship. He therefore justly observes, that it may here be taken 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen in a larger sense, and refer to that steady course of piety and virtue, which is implied in pleasing God, or walking with him, as in the former verse Enoch is said to have done; and which in the preceding clause, it is declared to be impossible for any one to do without faith. By faith Abraham sojourned in a strange land; eousness which is 87 Heb. xi. 7 fear, prepared an ark judgments, with immense labour and cost, SECT. to the saving of his amidst all the insults of prophane and wicked xvi. house; by the which be condemned the men, prepared an ark, which God taught him world, and became to build, for the salvation of his house and famheir of the right- ily; by means of which he condemned the unbeby faith. lieving world, by bearing a public and convincing testimony against them. And thus he became heir of the righteousness which is obtained by faith he was pronounced by God a righteous person, though his character was not absolutely free from imperfections, and became by divine grace entitled to the promise of eternal life, of which his temporal deliverance, though so amazing, was only an emblem. 8 By faith Abra- By faith, that illustrious patriarch Abraham, 8 ham, when he was from whom you justly esteem it a peculiar called to go out into honour and happiness to be descended, being a place, which he should after receive called by the God of glory, who appeared to for an inheritance, him, to go out, from his Father's house and obeyed; and he went native land, to a distant place, which God promout, not knowing ised that he should afterwards receive for an in whither he went. a strange country, heritance, obeyed without disputing or murmuring, and went out, though he knew not at all whither he was going, or to which part of the world he was to steer his course, humbly resigning himself to Divine Providence to mark 9 By faith he so- out his journey and his abode. By faith, he 9 journed in the land sojourned all the remainder of his days in the of promise, as in land of promise, when he knew it to be so, as dwelling in taber [in] a strange country, without having any nacles with Isaac and property there, unless it was that of a sepulchre Jacob the heirs, with towards the close of his life; dwelling in tents, him of the same promise. easily moved from one place to another, some part of the time with Isaac and Jacob who, in their succession, were heirs with him of the same promise, and depositaries of it, yet led the 10 For he looked same kind of wandering life, But he passed 10 from place to place with cheerfulness; for he expected at length to be led on to a city, and + Condemned the world.] It is plain that here, as in many other places, a person is said to condemn those against whom he furnishes out matter of accusation, in which view Titus iii. 11, may be understood. See the note there. Heir of the righteousness.] Bishop Cumberland observes, that Noah is the first to whom the name of righteous man is ap plied in scripture. Cumb. Orig. Gent. p. 418. With Isaac and Jacob] It is plain, from the account of the lives of these patriarchs, that Jacob was born fifteen years before Abraham died; and the oracle given to Isaac before the birth of his children, would sufficiently intimate to Abraham that he was the heir of the promise. |