The same faith manifested in Moses. 93 22 By faith Joseph Again, it was by faith that Joseph, when dy secr. when he died, made ing, mentioned the departure of the children of xvii. parting of the chil. Israel out of Egypt, as a fact which should cer- Heb. mention of the de bones. of Israel; tainly come to pass, though at a long distance. 22 and gave command- of time; and then in token of his entire dement concerning his pendence upon it, and expectation of the inheritance they would then possess, he gave a charge concerning the carrying his bones with them, to be interred in the sepulchre of his fathers in Canaan. 23 By faith Mo months of his pa The case of our illustrious law giver will 23 ses when he was also furnish us with farther glorious examples born, was hid three of that, which was in him a kind of hereditary rents, because they virtue; for it was by faith that Moses, when he saw he was a prop was just born, was hidden three months by his er child; and they were not afraid of pious parents, in their own house; because they the king's command- saw [he was] a graceful child, who seemed by ment. to years, refused to his aspect to promise something uncommon. 24 By faith Moses By faith this Moses, when he was grown up 24 when he was come to maturity of age, and become great in the be called the son dignities and preferments of the Egyptian of Pharaoh's daugh- court, on full consideration of all that could be ter; pleaded in favour of secular views, deliberately refused to be any longer called, as he had before been, the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but boldly professed himself an Israelite, and interposed to vindicate his brethren from their 25 Choosing rath- oppression: Choosing much rather to partake 25 with the people of with the people of God in their affliction, than to God, than to enjoy enjoy the temporary and transient pleasures of er to suffer affliction Grown up.] Some would more liter- crown when a boy; and that it is as if ally render it, grown great; that is, a the apostle had said, "He did not do it great man in power and dignity. But the as a puerile action, and when he underversion I have preferred is justified by stood not the value of things; but when Erasmus Schmidius, and by the learned he knew all the worth it could be supSee Tillotson's Works, Bos, who, in support of it, cites a re- posed to have." If Josephus's account markable passage from Homer, (Exercit. Vol. II. p. 20. Philolog. p. 252:) and it appears by the be right, Pharaoh's daughter had no son account of Stephen, Acts xii. 23, that of her own, and adopted him, with some Moses was now forty years old. I have view to make him successor to the crown; given a hint of both interpretations in the but I do not apprehend the laws of paraphrase. Some are of opinion, that Egypt would have permitted that, as he this passage refers to the story which Jo- was of foreign birth." sephus tells us, of his trampling on the 94 Having respect to the recompense of reward. the treasures of E SECT. Sin, which he might have expected, had he the pleasures of sin xvii continued in that magnificent, but corrupt for a season; Heb court: Esteeming the reproach of Christ, the 26 Esteeming the xi. 26 infamy that he might meet with in acknow- reproach of Christ ledging himself one of the Israelites whom greater riches than Christ had been pleased to take under his gypt; for he had special protection, and whom God had ac- respect unto the reknowledged for his anointed people, greater compense of the reriches than all the treasures in Egypt, though so opulent a kingdom: for he directed his regards to the recompense of reward, which he expected to receive in the invisible and eternal world, and to possess, when princes should have quitted their thrones, and all the pride of ward. 27 monarchs be laid low. It was also by faith, 27 By faith he that he left Egypt in that resolute and heroic forsook Egypt, not manner; not fearing the wrath of the king,i fearing the wrath of the king; for he enwhen he charged him on pain of death to see dured, as seeing him his face no more; but before he went, boldly who is invisible, predicted the destruction of the first born, which was to follow all the dreadful judgments already executed: for he was inwardly strengthened to this dignity and steadiness of conduct, as seeing him who is the great invisible Being, ever present to the eye of the believing mind, and whose presence and friendship is of such infinite importance, that he who fixes his regards on him, will never by any considera tion, be influenced to offend him, nor much impressed with the fear of any thing that would tempt him to do this. And for the illustration of this he quotes, and by this key explains, Psal. Íxxxix. 50-52. Recompense of reward.] That reward could not be temporal grandeur, which he might have had with much greater security and advantage in Egypt; nor the possession of Canaan, which he never saw. It must therefore be the eternal inheritance, which was discovered to him by the principle here so largely described and recommended. Reproach of Christ.] There are some who understand this of the reproach of Israel, God's anointed people, and so would render it, the reproach of the anointed; but I rather apprehend, considering the sense in which this name is every where else used by the apostle, that it refers to the relation in which Christ stood to Israel, as his peculiar people; so that reproach borne on their account was borne for him. (Compare 1 Cor. x. 9 ;) and Mr. Fleming, (Christology, Vol I. p. 169,) urges this as an argument for Christ's Fearing the wrath of the king.] As it existence before the time of Moses. Du is so expressly said, (Exod. ii. 14, 15,) Ant supposes that the Israelites expect that when he first quitted Egypt, and ed deliverance by the Messiah, and that. went to sojourn in Midian, he was afraid; the Egyptians insulted them on that account; and it is certain, reproach borne on the account of Christ, may be, and is called the reproach of Christ. Compare Heb. xiii. 13; Du Mont's Serm. p. 151-155. I apprehend the assertion of the apostle, that he did not fear the wrath of the king, refers to the instance mentioned in the paraphrase. Reflections on the foregoing instances of faith. 95 28 Through faith By faith that God would assuredly send his SECT. he kept the passo-angel ver, and the sprink- angel on the vindictive design foretold, and xvii. ling of blood, lest he spare the houses properly distinguished, he cel that destroyed the ebrated the passover, and the pouring forth the first born, should blood of the lamb, which he sprinkled on the touch them. lintels, and the posts of the doors, as the mark Heb. xi. 28 29 By faith they Again, by faith operating in Moses, and in 29 passed through the its degree in them likewise, they passed over the Red sea, as by dry Red sea, sedately, as if they had marched on gyptians assaying to dry land, while its waters by the Divine comdo, were drowned. mand divided, and left the channel bare to land: which the E them, so that they completed their march IMPROVEMENT. LET these glorious instances of faith be preserved in our mem- verse ory, and have their due influence upon our hearts. When God calls us to resign our greatest comforts, let us think of that heroic act of faith by which Abraham offered up Isaac, and seemed in 17 him to sacrifice all the promises, as well as his son. Yet he therein acted a part the most strictly rational; as rightly concluding, that God could with infinite ease call him back to life 19 again, and make a person, who had poured forth all his blood on the altar, and been reduced to ashes there, the father of many nations. Let dying parents commit their children to the care of the ever living God, like Jacob; and worship him who hath fed 20 them all their lives long, and who will never forsake those that put 21 their trust in him. Let those who are called to glorify God, by opposing the unjust commands of great and powerful men; remember the parents of Moses, and remember their illustrious child. * By faith they passed.] Mr. Saurin observes, with his usual delicacy, that since it very evidently appears, that of those who passed through the sea, there were some with whom God was not well pleased, 1 Cor. x. 5, we cannot infer, that all the persons afterwards mentioned by name, as instances of faith, were, on the whole, in such a state of acceptance with him as to be entitled to his everlasting favour. Sau rin's Serm. Vol. IX. p. 47. 96 verse 24, 25 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down : SECT. Does he now repent that wonderful choice that he made at an xvii. adult age? does he now wish that he had been called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, rather than the servant of God, faithful in all his house? does he wish that he had secured the treasures of 26 Egypt, and the temporary pleasures of sin, and declined that reproach of Christ, which has ended in eternal glory? Our hearts, our consciences will soon answer; let us then, like him, have 27 respect unto the recompense of reward. Let us endeavour more frequently to direct our regards to God, and live as seeing him who is invisible. And while our faith is thus viewing him, let us look with 28 pleasure to the blood of sprinkling, which places us under his pro tection; which introduces us to his favour; which secures us 29 from the destroying angel. He will lead us on safely to his heavenly Canaan, if we fall not by unbelief. He will open our passage through seas of difficulty; he will send down upon us every suitable supply, and would much sooner command the skies to rain down bread, or the flinty rock to melt into streams of water, than desert his people in the wilderness. Let all his wonders of power, and of love, to Israel of old, animate our faith; and let them all quicken our obedience; and under a sense of our own weakness, and the importance of this leading, this princely grace, let us daily pray, Lord, increase our faith. SECT. Heb. SECT. XVIII. The apostle concludes his discourse on faith, by hinting at many other glorious instances of it, and besides several recorded in scripture, refers also to the case of those who suffered under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. Heb. XI. 30.-XII. 2. HEBREWS XI. 30. HEBREWS XI. 30. xviii. HAVE mentioned the faith which our fore- BY faith the walls I fathers exercised on the miraculous power of Jericho fell of God to lead them out of Egypt, and through were compassed adown, after they xi. 30 the Red sea; and I must farther observe, that bout seven days. they continued under the influence of the same principle when they came into the promised land: for it was by faith in those who marched round the strongly fortified walls of Jericho, following the ark, and who at the appointed signal blew the trumpets of rams' horns and shouted, that, contrary to all sensible appearances of possibility, they fell down, smitten by the hand of God, without any human force, having been only surrounded seven days in solemn silence, according to the Divine command; The faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtha, David, &c. 97 31 By faith the how absurd a spectacle soever their procession SECT harlot Rahab per- might appear to the besieged. It was by faith, xviii. ished not with them and in consequence of it, that Rahab the harlot that believed not, when she had re. did not perish with the infidels of that city. 31 ceived the spies among whom she dwelt; having received the with peace. 32 And what shall to tell of Gideon, spies hospitably and dismissed them in peace, Heb. And what shall I say farther upon this copi- 32 I more say? for the ous, this inexhaustible subject? for the time time would fail me would fail me if I should attempt to discourse at and of Barak, and large concerning Gideon, who with so small a of Samson, and of band of men cut off so many thousands of the Jephthae of David Midianites; and Barak, who freed Israel from also and Samuel, and the oppression of Jabin, and routed Siserah his of the prophets : general; and Samson, who slew so many thousands of the Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass; and performed so many other astonishing achievements: I might also speak of the victory of Jephtha over the Ammonites, and the heroic acts of David, in his combat with Goliah, and his other frequent encounters with the enemies of God, and his Israel; and even of Samuel, who though his character seemed more pacific, as a prophet and a judge, yet led on the armies of the Lord on a remarkable occasion, to an illustrious victory. I might also enlarge on the celebrated histories of Elijah, Elisha, and others of the prophets, particularly Daniel, and the three young worthies, whose magnanimous history he hath 33 Who through particularly recorded. I will not dwell on 33 faith subdued king- the history of those heroes who have transmitted their names to our age, and shall transmit them to all who are to come, with such distinguished honour; but shall content myself with observing, that it was by the exercise of this great principle, that they were raised to those sublime degrees of reputation and glory. It was by faith that some of them, after many a painful struggle, subdued the kingdoms of |