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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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
shall but briesly note things and not bound up my discourse unto the unfolding of some one only proposition That no dignity or priviledge though very great will exempt us from dying Note 1. Death is a due debt to nature Omne quod generatur corrumpitur whatsoever hath a naturall generation is also subject to corruption death is in the present principles of every earthly living being and that as by mans sinne meritoriously so by Gods just sentence upon mans sinning judicially Heb. 9.27 Statutum est c. It s enacted resolved upon and ordained for man once to die and that once though for time uncertain to us yet that it shall finde a time nothing more sure yea many a time it seems very near us and we are in a tendency to it from our birth to our last gasp By many waies diseases infirmities or providentiall accidents we may and by some or other of them we are sure to arrive at death we reade of none exempted save Enoch and Elias the first changed the other assumed for as for the Virgin Mary we have not such authentick authority or warrant to beleeve it those two did God exempt from the common way of flesh to shew in them his power over all flesh over nature and naturall principles and inclinations and that we might the more readily be induced to believe the benefit of Christ in the resurrection of the dead when we hear that he preserved some from death and made them as pledges to us of the certainty of that glory and immortality that is the promised portion of all that believe in him through his death And yet surely even they underwent a change equivalent to death though they slept not in death as the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 15.51 We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed though we lie not in death yet we must passe through it we must put off this mortality these innate principles of death we shall not be as now we are when we come to inherit what now we believe for But for us and the rest of mankinde death in a more proper way is to be expected by us and will come upon us except the coming of Christ should suddenly prevent us and then such a change might be allotted us It 's not the being great or gracious that exempts from that event These all died many have lived many years yet as the longest day hath its night so this hath been the constant Catastrophe and winding up of them all in their genealogies They all died Jared lived nine hundred and sixty two years and then he died Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty and nine years but then it follows too he also died so Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob all gracious and holy men and found righteous in theâ— generations and yet these all died It 's that that David propounds to all Psa 49.1 2. high and low rich and poor one and other because its the lot of all that death will overtake them all none can shift from it None can give a ransome to God for his brother that he should live alwaies and never diâ— the price is too great and it ceaseth for ever We see wise men die as well as fools righteous men as well as sinners Magistrates as well as Subjects rich as well as poor one as well as another there is no escape of any in this battel nay men as well as the bruit beasts for as to this common condition of flesh there is one event to them both though not as to the spirits of both nor as to the supernaturall work of the resurrection of the body but as to death one thing happeneth to both both are of the dust and both go to the dust 2 Saâ—â— 14.14 Not only they but we also must needs all die and our strength is as Water spilt upon the ground neither is there any respect of persons with God Serius autâ—citius c. sooner or later we must all stoop to death in the flesh These all died A truth known to all and to be experimented by us all and yet a truth as little though of as almost any and as little made use of well might David cry out as he did when he was about to speak thereof Audite hoe omnes populi c. Psa 19.1 Hear this all ye people for though we all see it and shall feel it yet we minde it not few incline their ears to hear what God saies to us in it but hear this all ye people rich and poor high and low one and other All must die Ye that are rich and wealthy and have seraped much together and laid it up for posterity ye must die and leave all this that ye have gotten and ye know not who shall possesse it after you Hear this all ye gallants of the world that are fine and fashionable and delight to deck up your selves in costly apparell Quid ita colitis escam vermibus you must die and leave these bodies which you so dresse up for the worms to feed upon Hear this ye that addict your selves to pleasures and rejoice in a thing of nought and make your selves merry with meer vanities ye must all die and death will put an end to your mirth and jollity to your pleasure and voluptuousnesse chambering and wantonnesse and nothing but the guilt of these things shall descend with you Hear this ye that are poor and pincht with want and bitten with sorrow that fill your selves with cares and pine away with grief ye must die too and then your poverty and afflictions here shall have an end ye shall then have no more need of what now ye murmure or grieve or turmoil your selves for want of It 's but a momentany condition that you are here afflicted with ye must die and death will put an end to it yea death will put an end to all these things weal and woe sorrow and mirth riches and pleasures and whatever here we have as to us Surely man in his best estate here is altogether vanity Psal 39.6 like a bubble full of winde and emptiness easily broken and blown away with a blast and then that that was sweld up into a great appearing magnitude proves as nothing makes no further shew or appearance that we should look after it Oh! why then do ye pursue after vain things why sport ye your selves so eagerly in voluptuousnesse or spend so much cost on dust and ashes and pride your selves of that ye have no hold on or care so much for that that strangers or victors may devour up when you are gone why labour ye for that that perisheth and delight in that that will not endure Sure the very thought of death might instruct us all to sobriety in all conditions Sobriety in earthly delights for we must leave them Sobriety in honours and preferments for we must leave them Sobriety in apparell for we must leave it Sobriety in