Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 14 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Verſe 1. Now faith is the ſubſtance]
HAving mentioned the life of faith, Chap. 10.38. and the end of faith (or the reward of it) the ſalvation of the ſoul. verſ. 1 Pet. 1.9.39. he now deſcends to the deſcription of this glorious grace (Jam. 2.1.) and ſaith, that it is the ſubſtance or ſubſiſtence or Baſis, and foundation of things hoped for. It is the ſame that our authour had called confidence, chap. 10.35.foreign. Polybius ſpeaking of Horatius his keeping the field againſt the enemies forces ſaith, that the enemies more feared his hypostaſis (the word here uſed) his confident binding upon the victory, then his ſtrength.
The evidence of things, &c.] The Index, foreign.or the clear conviction by diſputation, or by making ſyllogiſmes from the word. Indeed it is the word (to ſpeak properly) that is the convincing evidence of things not ſeen: but becauſe the word proſiteth not further then it is mingled with faith in the heart, therefore that which is due to the word, is here aſcribed to faith.
Verſe 2. The Elders obtained, &c.] Gr. Were attested unto; foreign.and are here eternalized in this notable Chapter, This little book of Martyrs, as one fitly calleth it. Faith honoureth God, and gives him a teſtimoniall, Ioh. 3.33. ſuch as is that, Deut. 31.4. God therefore honoureth faith, according to … Sam. 2.30. and gives it his teſtimoniall, as here.
Verſe 3. Through faith we understand] It is the nature of faith to believe God upon his bare word, and that againſt ſenſe in things inviſible, and againſt reaſon in things incredible. Senſe corrects imagination, reaſon corrects ſenſe, but faith corrects both. Aufer argumenta ubi fides quaeritur. Verba philoſophorum excludit ſimplex veritas piſcatorum, ſaith Ambroſe. I believe, and that's enough; though I cannot prove principles and fundamentals of faith.
That the worlds were framed] Gr.foreign A…abrè ſacta. Were neatly made up.
By the word of God] By that one word of his Fiat, let it be ſo and ſo. By the way take notice, that faith here deſcribed is taken in a large ſenſe, as it hath not the promiſes only, but the whole Word of God for it's object. Look how the Iſraelites with the ſame eyes and viſive faculty wherewith they beheld the ſands and mountains, did look upon the brazen ſerpent alſo; but were cured by faſtening upon that alone; ſo by the ſame faith whereby we are juſtified, we underſtand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, and believe all other truths revealed; and yet faith as it juſtifieth looks upon Chriſt alone, not knowing any thing here, but Chriſt, and him crucified, as is well obſerved by a learned Divine.
Were not made of things, &c.] Of any praeexiſtent matter, as Plato held. See my Notes on Gen. 1.1.
Verſe 4. A more excellent ſacrifice] Good actions and good aims, make a man good in the ſight of God. Cain may offer as well as Abel. Doeg may ſet his foot as far within the Sanctuary, as David, the Phariſee as the Publican, but with different ſucceſſe.
God teſtifying of his gifts] By fire from heaven, or ſome other viſible expreſſion of his gracious acceptation, whereby Abels faith was confirmed touching life and ſalvation in Chriſt.
Being dead, yet ſpeaketh] Or,foreign. is yet ſpoken of; Being regiſtred for the firſt Martyr in the Old Teſtament, as Stephen was in the New, and as Mr Rogers was here in the Marian perſecution.
Verſe 5.foreign. By faith Enoch was tranſlated] Or carried from one place to another. He changed his place, but not his company, for he ſtill walked with God, as in earth, ſo in heaven.
That he ſhould not ſee death] The Arabick verſion addeth, He was tranſlated into paradiſe, where a plentifull amends was made him for that which he wanted of the daies of the years of the lives of his fathers in the daies of their pilgrimage, Gen. 47.9.
And was not found] And yet the Lord killed him not, as the Chaldee hath, Gen. 5.24. but took him up in a whirlwinde, ſay the Hebrew Doctours as Elias was.
That he pleaſed God] He walked with God in all well-pleaſing, being fruitfull in every good work, Col. 1.10.
Verſe 6. But without faith] That is, without Chriſt, in whom the Father is well-pleaſed, Ioh. 14.6.
For he that cometh to God] ſc. Formâ pauperis, that cometh a begging to him in the ſenſe of his own utter indigence, as Iacobs ſons came to Ioſeph, and as the Aegyptians hard beſtead came to him, ſaying, We will not hide it from my Lord, how that our money is ſpent, &c. Gen. 47.
Muſt believe that he is] Zaleucus Law-giver of the Locrians, ſpeaketh thus in the proem to his Laws, Hoc inculcatum ſit, eſſe Deos, Let this be well ſetled in mens mindes, that there is a Deity, and that this Deity will reward the devout. But what an odde conceit was that of the Cretians to paint their Iupiter without either eyes or ears? And what an uncertainty was ſhe at,Med…. … that praid, O Deus quiſquis es, vel in coelo, vel in terrâ, O God whoever thou art, for whether thou art, and who thou art, I know not.Servi… in Ge… lib. 1. This uncertainty attending Idolatry cauſed the Heathens to cloſe their petitions with that generall Dij que , Deae que , omnes, Hear all ye gods and goddeſſes. And thoſe marriners, Ion. 1.5. every man to call upon his God: and leſt they might all miſtake the true God, they awaken Ionah to call upon his God. Chriſtian petitioners muſt ſettle this, that their God is Optimus, Maximus, ſuch in himſelf, and ſuch toward them, as he ſtands deſcribed in his holy word.
Verſe 7. Moved with fear] Oppoſed to the ſecurity of the old world, who would know nothing till the very day that the floud came, Mat. 24. Noah trembled at Gods judgements, whileſt they hanged in the threatnings; and was no leſſe affected then if himſelf had been endangered. See the like in Habakkuk, after that he threatned the Chaldeans, Chap. 3.16. and in Daniel, chap. 4.19. Noah took things fore-told him by God,foreign. by the right handle, as the word properly ſignifieth.
By the which he condemned the world] Of deep and deſperate ſecurity, that dead lethargy, where into ſin and Satan had caſt them.
And became heir] Heir apparant: he was hereby evidently declared to be ſuch.
Verſe 8. When he was called] A man may follow God dry…od thorow the red ſea. He is to be obeyed without ſciſcitation, with a blinde obedience. Abraham winked, as it were, and put his hand into Gods, to be led whitherſoever he pleaſed. Magnus eſt animus, Seneca.qui ſe Deo tradidi…: puſi…us & degener qus obluctatur. That's a brave man indeed that can wholly reſign up himſelf to God— Quò …at… trahunt, retrahunt que , ſequamur.
Verſe 9.Virgil. He ſojourned in the land] There he had his commoration, but in heaven his converſation, content to dwell in tents till he ſhould fix his ſtation above.
With Iſaac and Iacob] Perhaps together, as near neighbours. When Abraham parted with Lot, he would part with him no further then the right hand is from the le…t, Gen, 13.9. There is ſingular comfort in the ſociety of Saints.
Verſe 10. Which hath foundations] Heaven hath a foundation, earth hath none; but is hanged upon nothing as Iob ſpeaketh. Hence things are ſaid to be on earth, but in heaven.
Whoſe builder and maker] Gr. Whoſe cunning artificer, and publike workman. God hath beſtowed a great deal of skill and workmanſhip upon the third heaven.
Verſe 11. Becauſe ſhe judged him, &c.] At firſt ſhe laughed, through unbelief, at the unlikelihood: but afterward ſhe bethought her ſelf, and believed. This later is recorded, the former pardoned. So Gen. 18.12. Sarah laughed within her ſelf, ſaying, After I have waxen old ſhall I have pleaſure, my Lord being old alſo? Here was never a good word but one, viz. that ſhe called her huſband Lord, and this is recorded to her eternall commendation, 2 Pet. 3.6.
Verſe 12. As the ſtarres, &c.] The ſeed of Abraham (ſaith one) are of two ſorts. Some are viſible members of a Church, yet have earthly hearts, dry and barren as the ſand. Others as the ſtarres of heaven, of ſpirituall hearts, minding things above.
Verſe 13.foreign ab a ſ…nul & foreign …abo. And embraced them] Gr. Saluted them, kiſſing Chriſt in the promiſes, and interchangeably kiſſed of him, Cant. 1.1. being drawn together (as the word ſignifies) by mutuall dear affection.
Verſe 14.Plotin. ap. Aug. deciv… Dei. That they ſeek a Countrey] Fugiendum est ad clariſſimam patriam: ibi pater, ibi omnia. A way, home to our Countrey, ſaith one, there's our father, there's our All, ſaith one. To die, is in Bernards language no more then repatriaſſe, to go home again.
Verſe 15. If they had been mind…full] But to that they had no minde at all, becauſe their idolatry too much prevailed, Ioſhua 24.2. Gen. 31.19 yet not ſo much as among the Canaanites, Deut. 12.31.
Verſe 16. God is not aſha…ed] But honoureth them as his confederates, becauſe for his cauſe they …enounted the world. No man ever did or ſuffered any thing for God, that complained of a hard bargain.
Verſe 17. Abraham, when he was tried] Often trials which Abraham paſſed, this laſt was the foreſt, No ſon of Abraham can look to eſcape temptations, when he ſeeth that boſome, in which he deſireth to reſt, ſo aſſaulted with difficulties.
Offered up his ſon Iſaac] Ready he was ſo to have done, and therefore it is reputed and reckoned as done indeed, 2 Cor. 8.12. See the Note there.
Verſe 18. Of whom it was ſaid] This was one of thoſe many promiſes that Abraham might think were all loſt in the loſſe of his Iſaac. Never was gold tried in ſo hot a fire.
Verſe 19. That God was able]. He founded his faith upon Gods fidelity and omnipotency. Theſe are the Iachin and the Boaz, the two main pillars, whereupon faith reſteth.
Verſe 20. By faith Iſaac bleſſed] Patriarchall benedictions were propheticall: the bleſſing of godly parents is ſtill very available for the good of their children: and juſtifying faith is not beneath miraculous in the ſphere of its own activity, and where it hath warrant of Gods Word.
Verſe 21. When he was a dying] The ſpirits motions are then many times quickeſt, when naturall motions are ſloweſt, moſt ſenſible, when one body begins to be ſenſleſſ…, moſt lively when the Saints …e a dying. The Sun ſhines moſt amiably toward the deſcent. The rivers, the nearer they run to the ſea, the ſooner they are met by the tide. So here.
Verſe 22. Gave commandment concerning] He died upon the promiſe, and held poſſeſſion by his bones, to teſtifie his firm hold of heaven.
Verſe 23. Hid three moneths of his Parents] That they hid him no longer, argued weakneſſe of their faith: which yet is both commended and rewarded.
He was a proper childe] Fair to God, Act. 7.20.foreign. having a divine beauty and comelineſſe, Speciall endowments are a fore-token of ſpeciall emploiment. The very Heathen in chuſing their Kings, had a ſpeciall eye to bodily beauty. See 1 Sam. 10.23. and 16.19. & 17.42.
Not afraid of the Kings commandment] Becauſe unjuſt and impious. See the Note on Act. 4.19.
Verſe 24.foreign When he was come to yeares] Gr. Grown a great one, and ſo knew what he did, underſtood himſelf ſufficiently.
Refuſed to be called the ſonne of Pharaohs] And ſo to ſucceed in the kingdome (for we read not of any ſon that Pharaoh had) yea in the kingdome of Ethiopia too: for being ſent on his foſter-fathers quarrell againſt the King of Ethiopia, Hiſtories tell us, that he afterward married that Kings daughter; for the which he was checked of his brother and ſiſter.
Verſe 25. Chuſing rather to ſuffer] The happieſt choice that ever the good man made. It was a heavy charge that Elihu laid upon Iob, that he had choſen iniquity rather then affliction, Iob 36.21. The Church is ſaid to come from the wilderneſſe (of troubles and miſeries) leaning on her beloved, Cant. 8.5 The good ſoul will not break the hedge of any Commandment, to avoid any piece of foul way. Quas non oportet mortes praea…ligere? ſaith Zuinglius. Zuing-epiſt 3.What deaths had we not better chuſe, what puniſhment undergoe, yea, what hell not ſuffer rather, then goe againſt our conſciences rightly informed by the good Word of God?
The pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon] Iob fitly calleth ſparks the ſons of fire, being ingendred by it upon fuell, as pleaſures are by our luſts upon the object. But they are not long-lived, they are but as ſparks, they die as ſoon as begotten, they periſh with the use, Col. 2.22. Good God, ſaid Lyſimachus, for how ſhort pleaſure how great a Kingdome have I loſt! May not the voluptuous Epicure ſay ſo much better?
Verſe 26. Esteeming the reproach, &c.] Reproach is here reckoned as the heavieſt part of Chriſts croſſe. And if we can bear reproach for him, it is an argument we mean to ſtick to him: as the ſervant in the law that was content to be boared in the ear, would ſtick to his maſter.
Then the treasures in Aegypt] Aegype for it's power and pride is called Rahab, Pſal. 87. famous it was for it's learning, 1 King. 4.30. Act. 7.22. and is ſtill for it's fruitfulneſſe: ſo that where Nilus overfloweth, they do but throw in the ſeed, and have four rich harveſts in leſſe then four moneths. Thence Solomon had his chief horſes, 2 Chron. 9. and the harlot her fine linnen Prov. 7.16. and yet Moſes upon mature deliberation, eſteemed the reproach of Chriſt, &c. So did Origen chuſe rather to be a poor Catechiſt in Alexandria, then, denying the faith, to be with his fellow-pupill Plotinus in great authority and favour.
For he had reſpect, &c.] We may ſafely make any of Gods arguments our encouragements: look thorow the croſſe, and ſee the crown beyond it, and take heart, Quis non patiatur, ut potiatur?
Verſe 27. As ſeeing him who is inviſible] An elegant kinde of contradiction. Let us ſtudy Moſes his Opticks, get a Patriarchs eye, ſee God and ſet him at our right hand, Pſal. 16. This will ſupport our courage, as it did Micaiahs; who having ſeen God, feared not to ſee two great Kings in their Majeſty.
Verſe 28. Through faith he kept the Paſſe over] It is the work of faith rightly to celebrate a Sacrament Speak therefore to thy faith at the Lords Supper, as Deborah did to her ſelf, Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a Song.
Verſe 29. They paſſed thorow the red ſea] Which threatened to ſwallow them, but yet preſerved them. Faith will eat it's way thorow the Alpes of ſeemingly-inſuperable difficulties, and finde unexpected out-gates.
As by dry land] Iſrael ſaw no way to eſcape here, unleſſe they could have gone up to heaven: which becauſe they could not (ſaith one) heaven comes down to them, and paves them a way thorow the red ſea.
Aſſaying to do were drowned] Here that holy Proverb was exemplified, The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his ſtead, Prov. 11.8. See Iſa. 43.3. God uſually infatuateth thoſe whom he intendeth to deſtroy, as theſe.
Verſe 30. By faith the walls of Jericho] So do daily the ſtrong-holds of hell, 2 Cor. 10.4. See the Note there. Wherein, albeit the Lord require our continuall endeavours for the ſubduing of our corruptions during the ſix daies of this life, yet we ſhall never finde it perfectly effected, till the very evening of our laſt day.
Verſe 31. With them that beleeved not] To wit, that gave not credit to thoſe common reports of God, and his great works, but deſpiſed them as light news, and refuſed to be at the pains of further enquiry.
When ſhe had received the ſpies] Whom to ſecure ſhe told a lie, which was ill done. The Apoſtle commends her faith in God, but not her deceipt toward her neighbour, as Hugo well obſerveth.
Verſe 32. Of Gideon, of Barac, &c.] Here the names only of ſundry Worthies of old time per praeteritionem conglobantur, are artificially wound up together, for brevity ſake. All theſe were not alike eminent, and ſome of them ſuch, as, but that we finde them here enrolled, we ſhould ſcarce have taken them for honeſt men: yet by faith &c. Chriſt carries all his of what ſize or ſort ſo ever, to the haven of heaven, upon his own bottome; as a ſhip doth all the paſſengers that are therein to the deſired ſhore.
Verſe 33. Wrought righteouſneſſe] Civil and military, ſpiritualized by faith, and heightned to its full worth.
Obtained promiſes] Faith winds it ſelf into the promiſes, and makes benefit thereof. A Bee can ſuck honey out of a …lower: ſo cannot a Flie doe. Faith will extract abundance of comfort in moſt deſperate diſtreſſes out of the precious promiſes, and gather one contrary out of another, honey out of the rock, &c. Deut. 32.36.
Verſe 34. Eſcaped the edge of the ſword] As David by the force of his faith eſcaped Sauls ſword, Eliah Ahabs, Eliſha the Syrians, 2 King. 6. &c. and divers of Gods hidden ones at this day have eſcaped by a ſtrange providence, when ſtudiouſly ſought after as ſheep to the ſlaughter. See the prefatory epiſtle to Mr Shaw… Sermon.
Verſe 35. Women received] As the Sarepton, Shunamite, widdow of Naim, &c. No ſuch midwife as faith: It hath delivered even graves of their dead.
Others were tortured] Gr.foreign They were tympanized, distended, ſtretched upon the rack, as a ſheeps-pelt is upon a drumhead. Others render it, They were baſtonadoed or beat… with bats or cudgels to death, as if it were with drummeſticks.
Not accepting deliverance] On baſe tearms: they ſcorned to flie a way for the enjoyment of any reſt, except it were with the wings of a Dove, covered with ſilver innocency. As willing were many of the Martyrs to die as to dine.
That they might obtain a better reſurrection] The reſurrection they knew would recruit and rectifie them. This held life and ſoul together. So Dan. 12.3. Theſe miſerable Caitiffs (ſaith Lucian the Atheiſt of the Chriſtians of this time) have vainly perſwaded themſelves of a glorious reſurrection, and hence their fool-hardy frowardneſſe to die.
Verſe 36. Of cruell mockings] As Jeremy, Amos, Eliſha, Goe up, baldpate, Go up, ſc. To heaven, as they ſay (but who will believe it?) that your Maſter Elias did. So they mowed at David, mocked at Iſaiah, Chap. 28.10. (the ſound of the words, as they are in the originall, carries a taunt) jeared our Saviour, Luk. 16.14. Set theſe Hebrews upon the ſtage, as mocking ſtocks, Chap. 10.33.
Verſe 37.foreign. Were tempted] Or (as others read the words) They were burned. One ſaith, That it was almoſt as great a miracle that Ioſeph did not burn, when his miſtreſſe tempted him, as it was for the three children not to burn in the Babyloniſh fire. Luther was oft tempted to be quiet, with great ſums of money, and higheſt preferments. Iulian by this means drew many from the faith.
In ſheepskins and goatskins] That might have ruſtled in ſilks and velvets, if they would have yeelded. Saepe ſub attrite lati…at ſapientia veſte.
Afflicted, tormented] None out of hell were ever more afflicted then the Saints, to the wonder and aſtoniſhment of the beholders.
Verſe 38. Of whom the world] They were fitter to be ſet as ſtars in heaven.
Verſe 39. Received not the promiſe] viz. Of Chriſts incarnation.
Verſe 40. Some better thing] i. e. Chriſt that great myſtery, as 1 Tim. 3.16. that chief of ten thouſand, &c. that gift, Iob. 4.10. that benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2.