us and canst thou have faith in his bloud before thou knowest whether he shed any for thee that thereby thou mightest know he shed it for thee faith in the bloud of Christ is this through the knowledge and belief of his bloud shed to be imboldned to approach to and rely on God and expect good from him as from one that thereby hath testified his good will toward thee and opened a way of accesse to himself and to his Kingdome for thee that thou mightest come to him and hope in him for it It 's strange that Christs bloud should give thee boldnesse to rely on God when thou knowest not whether ever it was shed for thee or that thou hadst any thing to do with it thou sayst it was shed for all that believe and thou believest c. That it was shed for all that believe is not questioned but that very believing is to be in that bloud Now the doubt is of thy believing in it before thou feest Gods word hold it forth as shed for thee that so thou mightest know it 's shed for thee I say that believing of thine was not a right believing in it that preceded thy belief of it by divine testimony to be shed for thee It was shed for enemies and ungodly that being preached to them they might believe in it as well as for them as believing in it that they might be sanctified and saved by it If thou believest in it or thinkest to have salvation by it because of thy former self-actings to sorrow and to reformation then is not this faith right because not springing from the word yea thou inverttest the order of the Apostle Tit. 2.11 12. 3.4 5. he tels us they were saved from their filthinesse and disobedience and led to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts by the grace the love and pity of God to man appearing and thou first art led to reform and alter and deny thy lusts and to believe as thou thinkest before thou apprehendest his grace and then drawest an inference of his grace from those thy works and denials thou endeavourest and conceitest thy self to work well and thereupon buildest an opinion that God loved thee and Christ came and died for thee this faith springs from thy works and not from the word the testimony of God is not believed by thee Oh but thou wilt say Even all those frames were begotten by the grace of God in thee else thou couldest not have had them and it was in hearing his word that thou wast led to them Ay but what meanest thou by grace the good will of God in Christ fore-manifested to thee in the word of the Gospel No for that thou sawest not but fetchest in by consequence upon thy changes what then a certain secret insensible working of power in thy heart to perswade thee to confesse thy sins and mend thy actions and do better then formerly Now thou speakest in the dialect of that Pharisee Luk 18.10 11. He had such a like considerce that he was a righteous justified person and was in state of grace but how came he by it he trusted in himself he saies not to be made righteous but that he was now a righteous one one that should have benefit by the Messias in his coming and should partake of the promises he fetched the arguments of his confidence from himself and yet what he speaks of as in him he attributes to Gods grace as if he had wrought it in him God I thank thee that I am not thus and thus he doth not ascribe it to himself but to God and it 's not likely but he thought God had perswaded him so and so to walk by what he had heard of his will in the Scriptures in the law of God he thought of a secret working of power in the word but he never apprehended or believed the grace that is the good will of God as it was preached to Abraham in the Gospel and promise he was ignorant of Gods righteousnesse 1 Cor. 10.13 Gal. 4.23 24. he was born of the bond-Woman his changes and righteousnesse sprang not from love and grace fore-apprehended but from the Law enjoyning and adding promises to mans observation and therefore this plea would no serve him his confidence was not currant nor did God accept him Such is thy profession thou findest it said If thou believest thou shalt be saved which in it self only considered is but like a legall promise and nothing differs from it for that saies if thou dost thus and thus thou shalt live or be saved but herein the Gospel differs from it that it laies down a foundation of love demonstrated from God to a sinner in the first place to move him impower and enable him to the thing required of him so doth not the law but only holds forth a conditionall promise upon obedience and while a man sees or closes with no more of the Gospel the Gospel is but a legall doctrine to him it 's not the Gospel he sees not the love declared the glad tidings of Gods good will to him a sinner and ungodly in the gift of Jesus in the belief of which he should be principled to the thing required but I say thou meeting with such a conditionall promise thou endeavourest after faith and humility and fruits and from thy self-endeavours changes and self differings which thou thinkest are notable fruits of faith thou concludest and trustest in thy self that thou art righteous a believer a justifyed one and so that Christ is thy Mediatour and died for thee and attributest this to God as if thou wert no enemy to grace but a Preacher of it in opposition to free-will and thus many men do whenas they never yet saw or discerned what grace is nor had any other principle in what they did but the law its threats and promises and their own will whence though they have as strong confidence of their being righteous as the Pharisee had yet it is but a strong fancy and groundlesse conception of faith the bottom of it is a legall covenant and their own work and endeavour not the word of the Gospel the declaration of grace they receive not the word that should beget it I know they say they beleeve all the Scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the latter end of the Revelations but come to the point let us examine thee in the testimony of God whereof the Apostle Paul was made a Preacher a Crier or Herauld for the obedience of faith we finde it 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. Dost thou beleeve this God wils all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and that Christ gave himself a ransome for all c. by and by they crie our A damnable heresie I see it there written but I am not perswaded it is meant as it was spoken I cannot embrace it Well how then God hath good will to none but an elect number in the
these had faith and kept it to the death and yet as the Apostle here witnesseth they all notwithstanding that died how is it then that Christ saith If any man keep my sayings he shall never see death Oh how mysterious is the word of God Answ and what a riddle to fleshly wisedom and humane â—nse It 's to be believed and held for true by faith not to be judged of as true or false by the verdict of our sense certainly both Christ and his Apostles said the truth he that keeps his sayings shall not see death and yet these that kept his sayings for before Aâ—â—ahâ—m was Christ was and his sayings they were that he received did all die yea the Apostle here hints a solution to that doubt of the appearing contradiction in them when he saies these all dâ—d in faith for in this very thing that they died in faith they were so preseryed that they did not see death for this very faâ—h in which they died carried them above sense and took their eye off from death and set it upon life so that they saw souâ—d felt experimented life in death even when they dâ—ed according to the flâ—â—h yet the then lived in their spirits their bodies did but sleep in death while their spâ—its lived above death being made partakers of Jesus Christ as he word of God to be made flesh who is the resurrection and the life and the very death of death putting it to death they passed through the shadow of it but they saw not felt not found 〈…〉 of it they saw God in their death and the sight of him â—o â—ook up and filled their eye that they could not see death Or 2. they saw not that death that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever for indeed that is death and worthy the name of death the second death the other the first death Rom 3.12 the condemnation that came by the first man upon all men that spent it sell upon Christ being by the wise and mercifull God â—a slated upon him 2 Tim. 1.10 and he hath abolished it so in and by himself that nothing but the carcasse and shadow of it abideth for us to see or grapple with so that he that sees but it sees not death properly but only the shadow and shell of it Its life power and proper vigour is by the death of Christ swallowed up abolished and gone he then that never sees the second death sees not death for there is no other death by way of punishment of man for his sinne that 's propeâ—y death but it remaming and that hath no power upon Christ or any in him the just shall live by faith in the midst of the shadow of the other death and he shall live out of the way and danger of this second death he shall never be hurt of it either by the bearing it or fearing it his faith shall keep him from the first and being exercised carry him through and above the second and he shall never be overcome or over-powred by it thence blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection Rev. 20.6 that hath part in Christ the first begotten from the dead the resurrection and the life that in their spirits are raised with him and shall have their bodies raised with the just at his glorious appearing Seeing then that we must all needs die Appliâ— and that 's our portion in the flesh and there is a way by which we may so die as not to see death viz. to die in faith what wisedom is it to take that course that we may so die that we may see no death when we die feel no sting in death finde it but a shadow that hath no deadly substance in it nay rather finde it lighted with the glory of eternall life seen and tasted through it that we may see life in death a life beyond above and without death Oh how terrible is death to men when they see death in it when they experiment and feel a sting in it the sting of a self-condemning conscience and the pricks of the second death in the first death When they see death and nothing but death when life is hid from their eyes and so their hearts and thoughts die within them together with or before their bodies when they die full of despair strangers from and hopelesse of ever finding the life of God that will be a black griesly day to a soul that sees not life in it what need then to cry to God here so to teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts to Wisedom the wisedom of God in its sayings reproofs counsels cals that it powring out its spirit upon us and opening its precious words to us we may be filled with faith and courage and be in such a state as in which to see no death that we may so believe and live in and by faith in the power and exercise of it that in all our dying conditions yea when we come to breath out our souls we may die in faith die according to faith and not according to sense Even some believers not living and dying in an exercise of faith are many times filled with sorrow fears faintings especially in their dying cases because they judge not and so die not according to faith they judge according to sense they feeling pain and feeling temptations and seeing griesly things represented to them by Satan they are affrighted and rerrified at them though they be false illusions whereas exercising faith and so judging according to it they are carried above and get the victory over sense and temptation Let us therefore so follow on after wisedom that her words may dwell richly in us that her spirit may be a spirit of faith in us that we may live in faith and have a living exercise of faith in all conditions so shall we also dying have our hearts born up by faith and shall be enabled to lay down our tabernacle with peace and joy as that will leade us and not with trouble as sense would carry us and unbelief affright us while we judge of God and Christ life and death sinne and righteousnesse according to faith and not according to carnall sense and philosophicall speculations we shall be from seeing death when we die yea shall finde and feel life in the shadow of death according to that Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath eternall life and shall not come into judgement but is passed from death to life and that Joh. 11.25 26. I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that liveth and believeth shall never die Those all died in faith Faith Ay but what is faith and how may a man come by it Object The Apostle in this Chapter Heb. 11.1 tels us what it is Answ It 's 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the paraphrase hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the argument and demonstration of things not seen of invisible things that are not the objects of sense but that are declared in the word of God such is the vertue and power of faith that it gives as great a certainty of those unseen things to the soul or minde as can be made over by any scientificall demonstration for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a demonstration to the minde not a presentation to the bodily essence as the Greek Scholiast upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Faith presents invisible things as visible how to the minde and hope which hope also springeth from it and is upheld by it as it there follows it 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too the basis or subsistence of things hoped for It so presents divine things to the minde that it also draws in the soul to trust in God and hope for good from him and the good things it hopes for faith gives bottom to and enables the soul to act towards them as if they had a reall existence as was before noted Rom. 10.17 And for the way to come by this faith the Apostle tels us Fides ex auditu c. Faith is by hearing by that means God â—fiâ—ctâ—th it whence that in Isa 55.3 Hear and your souls shall live 〈◊〉 but it 's not every hearing that produces this faith but that which iâ— by the word of God the hearing of the Gospel or word of faith that 's both mother and nurse of it from that it springs and by that it 's nourished in listening to that God puts forth his mighty arm and enables the soul to believe as sometimes he did to the Israelites by the brazen Serpent and to Naaman in the waters of Jordan to heal them He that hears my Words and believes on him that sent me c. Joh. 5.24 Hearing the Word is the way to believe in God First God declareth the truth which is truth when declared by him not made truth by our believing this truth heard perswades the soul by the divine power and spirit which is therewith ministred to close with what it hears and closing with what it hears the same power and spirit doth therethrough further while therein are opened excellent things as the hatred and justice of God against sin and yet his love mercy and good will in Christ toward the sinfull soulâ— c. pâ—swade the soul to embrace and close with Christ himself of whom the truth witnesseth and unto whom as its proper body and fountain as God is in him and he is God it leadeth and so the soul is by thâ— Word heard and through the divine power of God therein brought unto Christ and in and through Christ unto God by the beam to the body of the Sun and in that to all that fountain fullnesse of glorious light that sils that body and makes it so glorious But indeed the nature of this saith in which these holy men of God died and which is of so glorious use in life and death is in the text it self by â—cts and operations notably laid forth and described I shall briesly and but briesly touch upon them These all died in faith not having received the promises faith stands not in mens having in possession oâ— actuall fruition the things promised for then faith and sense should be confounded but 1. they see them the promises afar off That 's the first act of this faith though alone of it self it is not faith for it 's said of some they have seen and hated Joh. 15.24 yet this is I say the first act of this faith or the first act tending to this faith through which the following acts are also generated where this is rightly seated and the abiding in this and of this is that in and through which the other acts are carried on too and perpetuated this act being the first product of the Word heard and that which most immediatly springeth from it for while God speaketh he presents in his speakings truth to the soul and the soul hearing and receiving in the word spoken findes therein and therewith a divine power illuminating and giving light to it and power of discerning that light as if the light of the Sun coming to a blinde man in a dungeon should both present light to him and in the same moment give him a faculty and power of seeing thus in Psa 119.130 the entrance of thy word giveth light and giveth understanding to the simple the soul receiving or looking upon divine word sees things set before it that it never so saw before as his own vilenesse and filthinesse and Gods goodnesse and compassions and the great and glorious things in his way his Son to be met with and enjoied But these are said to have seen them afarre of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 46.10 God shews the end from the beginning things to be done never so long time hence yet being revealed in the word and there presented are by faith seen indeed men not hearkning to the word misse of much light and knowledge therein held forth and see not many things which in wist viewing or diligent attention they might come to see things afar off the things promised which were not of a long time to be performed whence neither had they so full and clear a sight of them as those that see them in nearer times as things seen afar off at a great distance are not so fully and clearly seen as when they are seen nearer hand Now they are brought near to us these being the last times yea some of these promises that they saw through the word at a distance are already in part performed and are become Gospel declarations to us as the coming and resurrection of Christ of the former whereof Mary could in her time say much more may we now He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spake to our forefathers to Abraham and to his seed for ever Luk. 1.25 And the Apostle Paul declares the latter as another step of the performance of these promises saying we declare unto you good tidings how that the promise that was made unto the fathers God hath fullfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Jesus from the dead We believing see them by faith as things already done and they are the grounds of our believing in him for those further things contained in those promises which are yet unfullfilled and which we are to expect the performance of in his season but then there must be with this seeing a further act even that that follows in the next place of them viz. 2. They were perswaded That 's the second act in this divine faith it 's not a bare speculation of truths in the proposition without a perswasion that they are truths and worthy to be heeded
world Christ gave himself a ransome for no other Where readest thou that not such a word in all the Bible well but how knowest thou then for thy self thou wilt say God forbid that I should not think that Christ died for me Why so if not for all yes I hope so will the very drunkards say though they deny it for all Every one will flatter himself in a good conceit of himself and make his own good conceit the ground of his faith and so the faith proves thereafter but the most generall plea is I am thus humbled changed c. as if he should say God I thank thee I am not as other men are Now though they say they beleeve for themselves that that is in it self true yet this being not the effect of the word of the Gospel in them but a conclusion drawn by themselves from their own changes or self-flattery it hath not the nature of divine faith in it but of opinion and what good works they do or seem to do they are not fruits of the word of God working through faith in them and so not the lively evidences of faith but things endeavoured after by the power of law and conscience in them to annex and pinne them to their faith or rather to maintain and uphold their own opinion of their having faith Too many Preachers there are that are in the fault for building up men in this manner not preaching the word of Gods grace to them according to the tenour of the Apostolicall commission some of whom while they plead for unity in the mean time depart from the unity of the faith and will not strive together with us for that tenour of it once delivered to the Saints Phil. 1.27 Rom. 16.17 but have made a division besides and contrary to that wholsome doctrine whereas all unity should stand in verity and then it will be lasting unity oh that they would beleeve the word of God that it may appear that the power and force thereof operates in them and that their faith and works spring therefrom and we are ready to embrace unity with them yea in the mean time we will love them and be at unity with them in what they had according to the word though we must reprove them when they disclaim dissent and draw people from the credit of the word as if our reproving their strayings from that Malediâ— a fit illa charitas propter quaâ— periclitatur vel amittitur veritas Luth. or holding forth the word as we finde and beleeve it faithfully to the people make or occasion division we cannot help that we must not lay down the truth of God to gain peace with men Let men lay aside opposition then to the Gospel-declaration and if they hold it not forth yet deny it not disclaim not against it oppose not evident Scripture-sayings and we shall readily endeavour to be at one with them Many deal with men as Pharaohs officers with the poor Israelites they took away the straw and yet required the tale of brick so men now presse men upon faith and repentance and yet in the mean while withhold from them the doctrine of Gods love and goodnesse to what purpose is it to tell men of the priviledges of beleâ—vers and withhold from them or render doubtfull to them those motives of Gods good will toward them and Christs death for them which God in the Gospel holds forth to them to bring them to believe to what purpose talk ye to men out of Christ and uncalled of a secret election that is only in Christ and no where else to be met with nor enjoied suppressing the doctrine of the death of Christ for them that should draw them unto Christ and tell them stories of an eternall reprobation without respect to their rejecting Gods grace yea with an affirmation that there was no such grace for the greater part of mankinde to be received or rejected by them as is affirmed in the Gospel for them so obstructing the way of their apprehending that grace that should leade them to repentance or to put them upon a form of repentance that hath no power in it that they might presume themselves elect for better it cannot be while the doctrine of Gods grace and goodnesse is not held forth and magnified toward them which leadeth to a true and living repentance and faith of Gods elect 2. Again how many talk of faith and yet shew no fruits of faith Qui Curios simulant Bacchanalia vivuxt call themselves Christians but neither have the anointing nor do the works of Christianity that professe the Gospel yet rest in the letter or shell of it and look not into it to behold the glorious grace discovered in the Gospel nor embrace the reproofs of self and flesh fleshly wisedom strength righteousnesse and affections that come along to them in and with the Gospel that talk of grace but receive it in vain and yeeld not up the inmost of their hearts to grace welcome it not in its teachings to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lust and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world receive not the love of the truth to be saved by it from Satans temptations and their own corruptions thou saist thou believest and hopest to have heaven and happinesse but yet thou art a drunkard a whoremaster a blasphemer covetous thy works proclaim thee to be a lyar such faith as consists in opinion and saying thou believest and yet hath no power in thee to break thee off from vanities will never save thee from destruction It 's true Saints have had their failings but they have been but failings and they have been saved out of them they have not lain and wallowed in their sin and yet said tush these are but failings their failings and fallings through temptation can be no plea for thee that never yet arose from sin and that livest and sportest thy self in thy sin O deceive not thy self with a vain conception to think the outward profession of a Christian will save thee when nothing of his divine power and spirit dwels within thee turn not the grace of God into lasciviousnesse backslide not from the escapes you have had from pollutions through the knowledge of Christ to be intangled again with your corruptions and yet flatter up your selves with the Saints failings and say ye may be true believers and reall Saints for all this thou saiest thou seekest a countrey too an heavenly city and yet thy care is altogether for and thy love eager to this countrey how to live bravely and fare deliciously uphold thy name and reputation with men though by vanity and iniquity misse no advantages of grasping in the world to thy self of satisfying thy affections and enjoying thy vain pleasures c. sure these are not the works of faith thou walkest not as the good old Patriarchs who counted themselves strangers and pilgrims in the earth and regarded not to return
and to uncircumcised gentile the body and generality of them not so proselyted The second is the common proâ—hannesse of superficiall Christians and turners of the grace and Gospel â—f Christ into wantonness that rest in a name and notion of Christianity but deny the power of it of which sort there are every where too many The third is the sect of the Sadduces that deny the resurrection the visible coming of Christ personally again and the glorious performance of the promises at that his appearing a too too spreading generation May God make it usefull to you to leade you besides all these tocks in the true ancient Scripture-doctrine and faith formerly also attested to in the Church in England so to embrace and love the promised salvation and so to follow the steps of this good man and of other Worthies that have gone before him in the belief of and hearty love to closing with an entertainment of the Word of God that it may produce like fruits in you as in them unto death and in death that you with them also may partake of the glorious resurrection unto life and happinesse I shall have cause of much rejoicing The fountain of mercy and wisedom flow down upon you sill you with truth with peace and righteousnesse direct and blesse you and make you blessings in your places and generations So praieth Your Worships Servant to his ability J. H. Vpon the subject of this Book An INSTRUCTION and HYMN REader see here how great a mystery Lies cropped up in Christianity Strange Paradoxes hâ—râ—'s a bush oâ— flame Burning yet noâ— consumed by the same By Collâ—quintida death in the set And yet so healed that it his teth not Drink from a rock in gravell wâ—â—â—some feed In darknesse light in midst of eval good In sicknesse health the sweetest case in pain In weaknesse strength in losse the greatest gain Yea life in death and in absurdities The depth of wisdom bassling all the wise The tell how men by falling rise and how By lesing what they have they richer grow How by dishonour mâ—n may mount on high By being overcome have victory Here hast thou meat out of the eater here Sweet from he strong holdnesse in greatest fear A dying man sild full of life and breath Conquer'd and yet triumphing over death But whence all thu or how can these things be Shall Paradoxes be Divinity Behold here 's God with maâ— Emmanuel That only word 〈…〉 dâ—th unspell In God is good light 〈…〉 strength case and gain In man all darknesse sicknâ—sse weaknesse pain Yea sorrow lesse and misery and death God fountain is of blesse jor life and breath In Christ these 〈◊〉 Behold the mystery Manhead united with the Deity Yea all those properties and consequents Of each found place in him a battell thence In him was fought while sin on righteousnesse Death on eternall life and curse on blesse Made their assault for these on him did seise Cause God to bruise his precious soul did please Death with us train could finde but small alode Though the humanity did yeeld thereto The Deity soon resoued is therefro And since our evils in that death did meet The eater yeelded meat and the strong sweet God shen'd himself in man in weaknesse strength In darknesse glortom light in shortnesse length Even length of daies and immortality Death being swallowed up in victory Of which mans nature being dispessest Is now become in him Gods endlesse rest Yea men is there the seat of blessings all Asâ—eâ—ded and captivity made thrall Which treastored are in him for us from thence Blessing of every kinde God doth â—â—spense Christy his hoâ—y Word and Spirit by which He peace and pardon in 〈◊〉 Name doth preachâ— By these he worketh saith and that the 〈◊〉 'Twixt us and Christ bringing to unitie With him from which doth such communion slow That he and we no longer are as two â—oyn'd in one spirit as he took our flesh So he gives us his Spirit which doth refresh And fill our hearts with joy Gods power he is Conquering death and its accomplices In us as once in Christ with whom joyn'd thus He writes his Name upon us God with us He is our life in death hope in despair Our strength in weakâ—sse and he doth repair Our breaches all while he doth make us see That we shall râ—st and reign as well as he Oh glorious death by which our life appears Oh glorious Spirit that our hearts no bears Oh gloricus Word that doth this tidings bring Oh glorious Chaâ— where our heavenly King Comes riding to 〈…〉 precious Faith That such a spring and such an issue hath Oh precious Lord that barâ—st to us such love Try self so to abase â—ll to remove From 〈…〉 whom it lay and would have wrought Our and esse ruine Thou to is hast brought Life yea immortall life Thou art the day That lightnest our night Thou art the way By which God comes to 〈◊〉 in he great night By which he give to 〈◊〉 his holy Spirit By which we come to him and finde his power Infusing life into us in deaths hour Thâ—â—s art the Word on thee the Spirit is put To open eyes that blinde are and unshut The stepped ears from bondage to set free And to get over dâ—â—th full victory Oh shew thy self to us be thou our life Fill us with peece and joy end all our strife Be thou our All open our hearts to see And fill us withâ—ly glory so shall we Triumph in midst of death and sing thy praise Full well assured that thou thenâ—e wilt raise Vs up again and set us on thy Throne For evermore with God to be at one THE LIFE OF FAITH IN DEATH The Text. HEBREWS 11.13 14. All these died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or according to faith not having received the promises but seeing them afar off they were perswaded and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and sojourners in the earth For they that say such things manifest that they seek a Countrey THe custome of a solemn interring of the dead bodies of deceased friends and of making lamentations over them is very ancient and laudable the mention of it is as old as Abrahams time we finde it was then a custome usuall in the Eastern countries as we reade in the book of Genesis of the Patriarchs and Egyptians and surely in its original it was tessera fidei amoris a pledge and testimony both of their faith and love fidei a witnesse of their faith that they beleeved and looked for the resurrection of the body and therefore would decently bestow cost upon and interre the body amoris of their love to the deceased whose reliques therefore they so sarre honoured and whose losse or absence rather they lamented as in their presence formerly they had been delighted thus I might shew you Abraham himself the father of the faithfull Gen. 23.2 burying the Corps of his deceased Sarah and
weeping for her and yet it is observable that the Jews write the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to weep very small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intimate the practice of Abraham to have been sutable to what the Apostle Paul expresly wishes that beleevers in the like cases should be 1 Thes 4 13. a moderate mourning for their dead in the Lord as those that believing the doctrine of the resurrection are not without hope for them I might point you likewise to Jacobs buriall of his wife Rachel and his and Esaus buriall of their father Isaac Gen. 35.19 20 29. and to Joseph and his brethren with many of the Egyptians making a very great lamentation for old Israel when they buried him insomuch that the place where they staied lamenting him got from thence a new denomination being afterward called Abel Mizraim Gen. 50.10 11. or the Egyptians mourning because of the excessive mourning of the Egyptians by which it seems that the Egyptians though least akinne to him yet made the greatest lamentation surely not because they loved him better then his children but because they were not so well instructed and therefore had neither so much knowledge nor so much hope of the resurrection which should have put more bounds unto their mourning except we shall say that the whole company coming out of Egypt had the common name of Egyptians put upon them because so adjudged to be by the people thereabout inhabiting I might tell you too of the interring of Aaron Miriam and the lamentations made for them as also for Moses Joshua Samuel and many others but then as the Apostle sales in this Heb. 11. in another case the time would fail me or my strength would fail me by exceeding the time I shall therefore content my self with what is said to that and turn from this discourse to my text and see what it will afford for our observation and usefullnesse before we make further application of our discourse to the present occasion All these died in or according to faith The Apostle in this Epistle had most sweetly opened the doctrine of Christ to the Hebrews that were partakers of the heavenly call and thereby brought to beleeve and thence called holy brethren ch 3.1 and from his natures offices sufferings and from the dignity of them all he had abundantly evinced and cleared it that they had good ground to hold fast the faith and profession of him firm without wavering and not be moved therefrom by any cause or reason In the 10th Chapter he had laid down many other arguments also to presse them thereunto as from the danger of willing backsliding If we sin willfully after the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin c. vers 25 26. and from the consideration of the excellency apprehended by them in Christ in their illumination and the effects of that apprehension in them c. vers 33 34. Remember the daies in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of affliction c. from the greatnesse of the reward promised and to be certainly enjoied by them in its season if they hold fast their faith and confidence and were not turned aside therefrom vers 35. Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward to which he adds an instruction about their need of patience ver 36. and usefullnesse and excellency of faith as that which most suiteth with the condition in which God useth to leade his and in which they should meet with preservation unto the enjoyment of the reward promised them vers 38. Now the just shall live by faith or the just by faith shall live without that the profession will be worthlesse the considence will vanish and patience will have no place but there will either be an open revolting or a secret withdrawing in a barren empty dead adhering to an outside profession Now in this Chapter he confirms what he had there said that faith is that in which God exerciseth his people and gives them life that God doth not use to keep them by sense in giving in an enjoyment of things promised so much as by faith in his word without sensible feelings and experiments but first of all he laies down a definition of this faith v. 1. It s the subsistance of things hoped for and the evidence or argument of things not seen that puts an end to vain empty disputations How do you know that God made the world or that the Scriptures are the word of God or are true c. Faith makes it evident to me God hath said thus and in his saying I am convinced and perswaded to believe though I see not the things of which he speaketh to me and in believing I am staied and satisfied about it and it s become to me as firm a principle as if I had seen It s an argument leaning upon Gods authority speaking and manifesting it self unto the conscience that gives a suâ—sistence to things hoped for as to my minde so that though we see not the things we hope for nor are they as yet in being yet they being beleeved have a kinde of subsistence in the heart and the soul acteth upon that subsistence towards them as really as if it saw them with the bodily sense as if they were already existent and had a being which also they shall have in their season From that the Apostle proceeds to give divers instances of the excellency usefullnesse and â—fficacy of this faith in the prime and choice Saints of God in all ages how they have lived by it and in the exercise of it without the enjoyment of the things set before them and beleeved and he begins at Abel v. 4. and so passes on to Enoch ver 5. Noah ver 7 aâ— thence to Abraham Isaac and Jacob ver 8 9. and Sarah ver 11. or whom he hâ—re saith in the text All these dieà in faith not having received the promises c. The words these all seem to referre to Abraham Isaac Jacob and Sarah both because of Enoch of whom its said vers 5. that he was translated that he should not see death who therefore cannot be here included except we take his change in his translation to be equivalent to death and also because that he tels us vers 15 of these forsaking their Countrey which we finde no where affirmed of those others mentioned before these But let us come to the words and note something from them that present themselves unto us for I shall not spend time about a curious supersluous cutting them in pieces Abraham Isaac and Jacob were worthy persons highly favoured of God chosen by him to peculiar dignity and priviledges Princes and Prophets and very famous in their proper seasons yet behold what the Apostle in the first words of the text affirmeth of them all These all died Whence let us note and I
and embraced by them the discerning of divine truths as propounded is a means to perswasion and so to believing Joh. 6.40 Every one that sees the Son and believes on him c and is it self augmented and flows in more upon the soul through believing but is not it self faith without perswasion nor can it be so called these worthies in their faith saw and were perswaded they were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of unperswasibleness disobedient to the heavenly vision like men that see things at a distance presented to them but yet cannot be perswaded they are indeed the things they seem to be because they know not how or which way such things should come there and they must have their reason satisfied in that or else they will think it 's an illusion and strong misapprehension in their senses No it is not so with faith though they saw but afarre off yet they were perswaded of the truth and certainty of what was shewed them and of what in that shewing they did see In which they differed from many that now though they have the Gospel more nearly clearly and plainly presenting the things of God to them yet they are not perswaded of them they see such things affirmed but cannot think they are so as they seem to be affirmed of they exalt their reason and cannot deny themselves and be willing to become fools to follow the word of God and to come to its sayings they have many questions nauseously lie upon their stomacks through the exercise of their fleshly wisedom of which they are sick and in which they must be fore-satisfied or else they cannot be perswaded like Nicodemus How can this and that be Can a man enter into his mothers womb again and be born a second time or like old Zachary how can persons so stricken in years have the prâ—mise of a childe made good unto them or those in the wildernesse Can God prepare a table c. But so it is not with faith it saies not Rom. 10.6 7. Who shall ascend up into heaven to fetch down Christ or Who shall descend into the deep to bring him up it raises not up questions it stumbles not through its reasonings but is perswaded through the consideration of Gods authority They were perswaded and yet it rests not there neither but as it follows of these holy ones 3. They embraced them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saluting or kissing them ay this is the completive intrâ—nsecall act of faith the faith which the just do live by It 's not a bare sight and perswasion but such as in which the heart liketh and closeth with the things presented and whereof they are perswaded It 's possible a man may see and be perswaded of truth and yet not like but hate it not salute and embrace it but turn his back upon it and reject it Mat. 21.38 some were perswaded that Christ was the heir yet were so far from embracing him that they added Come let us kill him even so many a man when he sees a truth which reproves his way and is not for his turn his lust purpose or design though he see and be perswaded it's true yet his heart loves it not but boggles against it he cannot like to entertain it the young man that came to Christ Mat. 19.22 could not nor did object against Christs doctrine nay it seems he was in some measure perswaded it was true why else should it have troubled him and made him sad had he given no credit to it it would never have come so near his heart he would lightlier have got rid of it but yet he could not embrace or welcome it though there was a precious promise set before him yet he could not like it upon those terms on which it was propounded it was not his case alone many could like to have the happinesse promised in the Gospel and are perswaded that upon such and such terms they might and should have it who yet not liking those terms do not embrace it like Boaz his kinsman Ruth 4 4 6. he could like to have redeemed Naomies lands till he came to see the terms that it would spoil his own inheritance and upon these terms he would none of it many would own and embrace truth were it not that it would spoil them of their self-interests if it leade them not to such self-deniall But this divine faith here spoken of carries the heart above those stumbles and makes it with chearfullnesse and joy to welcome the glorious grace and promised portion that truth presents it upon its own terms It so acts the will and affections too that they like what the soul sees in truth and is perswaded of and take it home and give it the best entertainment they possibly can it unites the soul unto the promise and the promise findes a subsistence in the soul It 's as a march that God hath propounded and the soul accepts it upon Gods terms owns loves sides with and rejoices in it upon which follows 4. They confessed themselves strangers and pilgrims in the earth thereby declaring plainly that they seek a countrey Here we have faith compleated inwardly in its own essence further perfecting it self in its fruit and operation as the tree may be said to be perfected in its bearing fruit Here 's an inward hope and expectation of the thing promised and in that a seeking after it a countrey another and a better state a new heaven and a new earth Act. 3.21 that 's the ultimate thing promised the state of restauration of all things and therein the full enjoyment of God now through faith that is through the word of promise seen 1 Pet. 1.3 perswaded of and embraced they are begot to a living hope and that puts the soul upon pressing after the glory promised and purges the soul from the earthly affections that fill the hearts of those that have not so beleeved all they had before were now nothing to what they see and were perswaded of and embraced These promises or things promised are so welcome to their souls though yet they possesse them not but only have the faith of them that earth and world and all things here are not to be compared with them they reckon themselves not at home till they enjoy them their mindes are after them and off from these things that they lived upon before these better things were revealed to them Here 's mortification on effected both in minde and conversation the affections removed from the things below and set upon these things that are above taken off from present enjoyment and advantages for enjoying the world and set upon the promised future happinesse the heart is taken and gone after another city and countrey and that heart-belief and inward affection produces mouth and practice-confession to salvation they confessed themselves strangers and pilgrims in this earth they finde not herein a
resting place they have a better home and that they seek after I know others may utter such like words upon other principles as men seeing the brevity and uncertainty of mans life may think they have here no staying continuance as Cicero the heathen Philosopher speaks somewhat to that purpose I go saith he out of this life Ex hâc vitâ ita discedo tanquam ex hospitio non tanquam ex domo commorandi enim diversorium naturâ— nohis non habi tandi dedit as if I went out of an Iâ—â—e not out of my dwelling-house for nature hath given us here a place to bait in only not to dwell in Thus a morall man may be led to say by the sense and knowledge he hath of this lifes uncertainty and passing swiftnesse but their confession proceeded from their faith in an earnest seeking after Gods heavenly promises the belief of Gods word and the complacency they had therein in the expectation of the things set before them made them so to reckon themselves as strangers and pilgrims in the earth and therefore not to love or covet after the enjoiments of the earth not to minde to return back into their own countrey whence by faith they had departed to follow after God all see they cannot here alwaies continue but all know not that they have a better countrey and therefore all that so see are not mortified in their mindes to the things whose vanity they see all reckon not nor so walk as if they reckoned themselves strangers and pilgrims in the earth seeking another countrey Two things we may principally note from what hath been said he to about the nature of faith and efficacy thereof 1. Note 3. That that divine faith that will indeed do us good in death stands in the word of God the word of the promise or Gospel closes with and springs from that sees is perswaded of and embraces the testimony of God held forth in that 2. Note 4. That that divine faith is exceeding operative and working inwardly and outwardly embracing the heavenly things propounded it leads to look for expect and seek them and to despise these earthly things in comparison of them Tit. 2 11 12. It leads to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope the promised inheritance at the appearance of Christ Jesus It 's neither a groundless humane conception and presumption nor an empty barren and idle speculation It 's such an heart-closing with the word as in which the word is vigorous in the heart and brings forth fruit unto eternal life this in both parts we have seen already in the opening of the text they saw them afar off and were perswaded and embracing them confessed that they were but strangers and pilgrims in the earth Would we have faith or would we that have any measure of it grow Applic. therein let us take heed to the word the word of faith the doctrine of the Gospel and let us be swift to hear slow to speak or make confessions or protestations of our faith further then that heard effecteth them in us be more ready to hear what God saies to us then to boast our selves of what is in us or to offer the sacrifice of fools Eccl. 5 1â— such as the power of the truths we hear spring not up in us much more be we slow to speak against the Gospel of God because we comprehend it not with our reason or to be wroth and offended thereat because it comes to lay us low and pull down our proud swelling conceptions Hearken diligently and your souls shall live Isa 55 3. And so would we be means to bring others to faith preach we and hold we forth the word to them not our dictates and placitas but Gods word the Gospel as attested in the Scripture that men may believe as the Scripture hath said for to such faith is the promise made Joh. 9.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water and for such believers Christ hath praied Joh. 17.20 for them that shall believe through their word Joh. 17.10 Gal. 4.28 the word given by Christ to his Apostles whom he sent out into the world preach the word of promise for of that it is that the heirs are born that shall enjoy the inheritance the word of the death and of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for men which is part of the promise made to Abraham as was shewed before that 's the foundation doctrine upon this foundation build them and then exhort them to walk worthy thereof in all well-pleasing There 's many a mans faith detected to be vain by these two things by its want of a right bottom and by its want of right fruits and operations 1. Thou saist thou believest and trustest in God but according to what dost thou believe it's with many a man because of and according to their works diligence endeavours sense feelings not according as it is said in the word to us as it 's said of Abraham he believed according to what was spoken to him So shall thy seed be Ro. 4.17 Now as that 's not right faith that carries not on the soul after God and causes it not to seek the countrey promised so neither is that right faith that springs from mans own strifts and endeavours after the love of God as that 's not a good faith that 's without works so neither is that good that 's bottomed upon thy works It 's the character of true beleevers in Act. 18.27 that they beleeved through grace not through works I believe saies one that Christ died for me and is a Mediatour for me Well but how camest thou by that faith whereupon is it grounded why they will say perhaps from the word Well let us see how the word evidenced it to thee why I found such and such effects wrought in me I was convinced of my evil way and humbled and mourned and reformed and was thus and thus changed therefore I perceived that I was one of the elect of God and Christ died for me Oh but now believest thou not according to the word but deceivest thy self grounding thy faith of Christs mediation upon thy works or the effects of law and conscience in thee c. I fear when thou comest to the triall thy works will be found light and vain What dost thou tell me of fruits and effects of faith evidencing thine election before and as the ground of thy believing Christ a Mediatour for thee No changes or fruits will evidence election but such spring from faith in Christ in whom the election is nor is there any faith rightly in Christ as now come but in his bloud and mediation Rom. 3.25 by his bloud We have accesse to God to believe in him and approach to him and see his love to
to their own countrey which they came out of at Gods commandment as the former sort of men deny the word of faith and discover their defect of faith by opposition to the word so these by their works declare the vanity of their words neither of these faiths faith upon works and not grounded on and springing from the word nor faith or rather a saying a man hath faith without works inward operations and outward testimonies through the power of the word feeding it will suffice to make a man just or cause him to live nor will either of them be sufficient for dying to keep a man that he see not death But there 's one thing more yet they received not the promises though they beleeved and saw them afar off they died in faith but yet enjoyed them not how may we understand that and what shall we note from it The promises metonymically for the things promised which are either for this life or the life that is to come for this life such as these to be a shield to them to protect them provide for them give them children c. for the life to come such as the countrey or city that hath foundations the full enjoyment of himself and his glory and as the way to that the Messias to be born of their seed to die and rise c. as also to blesse all nations in him Again the word promise sometimes in Scripture signifies the word of promise or the promise it self made in words to us and by these distinctions and considerations we may resolve a doubt for whereas it 's said here these all died in faith not having received the promises it 's said as we reade it in ver 17. that Abraham had received the promise He that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Son and so chap. 6.15 after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise The solution that the word of a promise he had received from God God made his promise with and to him and that promise as a thing made in word he had received it he heard it and beleeved it but he had not received the things spoken of in that promise or in those promises as the word promises in the text signifies the things promised 2. He did before he died obtain and receive the promise in some things but not in all the promises for this life of having God a shield to him to protect him and be his God and own him and give him a Sonne these he had obtained and received before the died yea before he offered up his son Isaac but not all the promises nor the main things promised as neither the land of Canaan nor the multiplying his seed as the stars of heaven nor the Messias coming and blessing all nations nor which is the main the full thing aimed at the heavenly countrey or kingdome the enjoyment of God and Christ in glory with his seed and yet these they were heirs of these fell to them by lot from God Heb. 6.12 yea these they received in semine in Isaac and Isaac in Iacob c. they had them in pignore but not in plenitudine in the first fruits or pledge but not in the full enjoyment They all died in faith not having received the promises the greatest part the glory and the inheritance promised they received not and yet though they had them not till their death yet they left not off believing and hoping for them nay in their very death they held fast that faith and hope of them and that upheld them in death they knew themselves heirs of them and judged God faithfull not to deprive them But how could that be seeing now they died without them Sure then they looked for another day and time in which they should enjoy them and in which we also that now believe should enjoy them with them as is said ver 39 40. These all being Wiâ—nessed of by faith or having received a good report or testimony by saith received not the promises God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect God hath provided another time and day in which they and we together shall receive and enjoy them Mâ—nde we here then a little these dying beleeved still the receit of the promises though even at the time of their death they had not received them how did they then believe wrong or right was the thing they believed true or false Surely their faith was good for the holy Ghost here commends it and God therefore vouchsafed to be called their God having prepared a city for them vers 16. and if so then surely they must yet have the promises performed to them though now dead What shall we say then Verily we must needs hence further note That there shall be a resurrection from the dead Note 5. death shall not frustrate the promises of God and make void their faith There shall be a time when they shall be brought out of the power of death and grave and then shall receive the promises that they died short of then shall the word of God be performed to them and indeed here was the triumph of their faith that though God kill them and take their lives from them and they never see the fulfilling of the prime things promised yet they beleeved that they should receive them death it self wherein according to sense there was an end put to them and all further hope and expectation could not make their faith to fail them for they beleeve in God that raised the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were Rom. 4 17. and so above hope beleeved in hope according not to sense but to what was spoken of God so shall thy seed be O the power and vertue of divine faith supported by the power of God in the belief of the resurrection from the dead Surely if they believed not in vain as without doubt they did not then it undeniably follows that they shall have and so that there is a day of Resurrection when the promised countrey and glory shall be made good unto them Verily if this doctrine were not true our faith were vain and the Gospel preaching with its promises vain we could have no ground for faith in death but faith and hope and all must die with us but now they died all in faith though they had not yet received the promises verily there shall be a reward for the righteous for all their faith and patience verily there shall then be a resurrection of them that they may be rewarded the time of the resurrection of the just is the time of their remuneration as in Luk. 14.14 Thou shalt be rewarded in the resurrection of the just deny the resurrection of the just and thou takest away the hope of their reward and thou makest them of all men most miserable because here they have a time of deeper sufferings and sorrowings