Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11:1

IS the] he makes things which are hoped for, and consequently are absent and 〈◊〉 off, Romans 8:24. to be by apprehension of faith as already existent and reall The evidence] an infallible argument and means of certainty and invariable perswasion.

Hebrews 11:2

For by it] he gives a reason of the first property of faith to seale Gods promises in mans heart, by the example of the Fathers before Christs comming, who by faith did apprehend Christ and his ben〈…〉, as already present, and in regard of that are commended in Scripture as beleevers and children of God, and righteous, and thereby are acknowledged to be worthy to receive the promises: wherefore if faith have had this vertue before Christ, it doth much more retaine it after his comming in the flesh, as well in regard of the things which he hath already done, as of those things which he shall hereafter perform for their salvation.

Hebrews 11:3

Through faith] he touches the other propertie of faith in the firme perswasion of the truth of things, whereof neither sense, nor discourse of reason can give any sound impression, such as the creation of the world is The worlds] the Italian, the ages; that is to say, the world, see upon Hebrews 1:2. By the word] of nothing, by the onely omnipotency and will of God Of things] of any pre-existent matter or beginning, but of nothing, which is beyond all naturall understanding.

Hebrews 11:4

By faith] Abels faith made his sacrifice acceptable to God, as want thereof made Cains to be rejected; now this sacrifice of Abels had two ends, the one to be a Sacrament of expiation promised to Adam in Christ, the other to be an act of worship and of acknowledgement towards God Abel by his lively faith in Gods promises made the Sacrament effectuall, which otherwise would have been but a dead Ceremonie: and by meanes of the same faith being in Gods favour, and justified, and regenerate, his service was also acceptable, as the fruit of a good tree He obtained witnesse] in so much as it is said in that place, that God regarded Abel, that is to say, accepted and approved of him as holy and righteous, not for his own worth and merit, as appeared by his Sacrament of propitiation, but by vertue of the onely righteousnesse of all ages residing in Christ, and apprehended by faith Te〈…〉ing] being it is also said that God respected his offering By it] that is to say, Having through faith been the childe of God in his life time, God shewed after his death that his favour towards him did yet last, being it is said, Genesis 4:10. that Abels blood cried unto the Lord, as calling him to be judge, which ought not onely be understood for revenge against Cain, but also in retribution of life to Abel, being that Gods justice sheweth it self to be Almighty and most perfect, not onely in punishing the offender, as mens justice doth, but also in restoring the innocent to life, and giving him a reward. So inAbel is declared the effect of faith, in assuring the beleever of Gods present grace, and of his life and glory to come.

Hebrews 11:5

By faith] Enoch having firmly by faith apprehended Gods promises in the Messias, was also set down for an example of the end of faith, which is to be translated out of this naturall and corruptible life, into the heavenly and immortall life, 1 Corinthians 15:51. That he should not] that he should not die a naturall death by the dissolution of his body, but by a neer and sudden change of qualities, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This singularity in Enoch was a signe of the true use of the death of Gods children, which is but onely to put off the old earthly qualities, and in this manner to dispose them to put on the new heavenly ones, 2 Cor. 5. 2. 4, For before] he gives a reason why he hath attributed this transportation to faith, namely, because God having by means of faith adopted him in grace to be his Sonne, did likewise give him a Sons inheritance.

Hebrews 11:6

Without faith] because it is the onely means appointed by God to receive his grace in Christ, who onely hath made peace with God For he] he proves that no man is pleasing to God without faith, because that to be in his favour is no work of man, but Gods benefit: Now the benefit is unprofitable unlesse it be received, and this cannot be received but onely by faith,John 1:12. That commeth to] namely, this he that desires to be in Gods favour and covenant, is partaker of his blessing That he is] this is the first part of faith, which consists in the understanding and knowledge, and being alone is but an historicall faith, and of bare notice, which is also common with the Devils, James 2:19. And that he is] namely, that he will really fulfill the promises which he hath made of everlasting goods, to them that enter into this covenant with him. And this is the other part of faith consisting in the apprehension and singular application of the promise of grace to the beleever, which is here called reward and recompence.

Hebrews 11:7

By faith] in this example and the following are declared the effects of certain particular promises and words of God, as essaies and trialls of faith, to the generall ones of his grace in Christ, upon which also these particular ones were fastned, as the branches upon the stock Moved with] that is to say, His beleefe that he gave to the idings of the deluge, caused him to yeeld through a pious and obedient fear unto the onely, means of saving himself, which was propounded unto him by the Ak, which was a figure of Christ, the onely means of eternall salvation, and object of the justifying aith, 1 Peter 3:21, He condemned] not onely by his preaching, 2 Peter 2:5. but also by building the Ak, he warned the men of that age to be converted in time, which they refusing to do, were made inexcusable, and their rebellion was aggravated And became] that is to say, That benefit ought not to be taken in a carnall sense, as if he had received nothing else from God but his bodily deliverance, for he together with that received the gift of eternall salvation, as Sonne of God by right of inheritance promised to the righteousnesse of faith, Genesis 6:8-9. Romans 4:13. Or by faith he received the gift of Christs righteousnesse which God bestoweth upon his children, and by vertue of it, all his other goods.

Hebrews 11:9

By faith] being encouraged and born up by faith in the promise of life and heavenly glory (for a pledge whereof the land of Canaan was given him) he suffered all the troubles of such a long pilgrimage With Isaac] as those Patriarches did likewise after Abrahams death.

Hebrews 11:10

A city] namely, Heaven, a firme and everlasting habitation for all beleevers, opposite to those moveable and ambulatory habitations of the Patriaches, see Hebrews 13:14. Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:10.

Hebrews 11:11

Through faith] that is to say. By means of Sarahs faith God wrought that miracle upon her according to Gods ordinary proceeding in his works of grace, which is to present the promise of a benefit to a man, before he gives him the full effect of it, and if he by faith receives the promise into his heart like seed, then at the appointed time he enjoyes the benefit, otherwise he is deservedly deprived of it, see Matth. 13. 5. Marke 6, 5. and 9. 23.

Hebrews 11:13

In faith] to shew that the faith of those Fathers had not onely earthly goods for its object, he declares that they died, and never were put in possession of the promised Land; whereupon we must conclude, either that their faith was vaine, or that Gods promise did extend it selfe to the everlasting goods, into the possession of which they entered by death Seen them] with the eye of the Spirit, which is faith, v. 27 Embraced them] the Italian, Saluted them; that is to say, having had a short and transitory fruition of the Land of Canaan, as of a person which one saluteth from afar off, or as one goeth by.

Hebrews 11:14

For they] that is to say, those fathers protesting that they were pilgrimes even when they were in the Land of Canaan, did declare that was not their true Countrey: and if they meant the ancient Countrey of Chaldea, from whence they were come, they did in vaine labour to seeke after it, seeing they might quickly and easily returne unto it. And therefore we must conclude that their ayme was at the heavenly Countrey, to which they could not come but onely by death.

Hebrews 11:16

Wherefore God] if their faith had ended with this life, by their death, they had perished all together, and it had been an unworthy thing for God to have been called their God after their death, as he is Exodus 3:6. But because after their death, they lived in heavenly glory, it is a thing no way unbeseeming Gods Majesty, See Matth. 22. 32.

Hebrews 11:17

By faith] not onely by it overcomming all naturall affections, contrary to this obedience, but even assuring himselfe against all sence and reason, that Isaac though offered in a holocauste, could not perish irrevocably: seeing that according to Gods promise, the holy Seed was to be preserved in him and the Messias at the last was to come of him That had received] that is to say, had embraced them by a lively faith, resting wholy upon them The promises] of being head and stemme of the blessed seed, by Isaac and his posterity.

Hebrews 11:19

From whence] the meaning is, that Isaacs deliverance was a figure of the resurrection, in respect of Abraham, who in his owne conceipt did already account him as dead; and had overcome all the griefe, and naturall motions for him, as if he had been already dead.

Hebrews 11:20

By faith] that is to say, lively apprehending Gods generall promises, he did by his blessing dispose of the promised goods, as if he had already had them in possession: and by beleeving the particular declaration which God had made, to preferre the younger to the elder, Genesis 25:2. he gave Jacob that blessing, Gen. 27. 28. & 28. 4. which importeth the continuance of the blessed race, and of Gods covenant.

Hebrews 11:21

By faith] in this blessing of Josephs children Jacob exercised his faith, because that thereby he made them partakers of the spirituall goods promised to the holy Seed, into which he incorporated them as his owne children, Genesis 48:16; Genesis 48:20. and of the temporall goods, which were the figure thereof: such as the Land of Canaan was; though the first goods were not yet sensible, and the other not as yet present. Now the Apostle makes mention of the blessing of these children of Joseph, rather then of the rest of Jacobs children, because that they were borne in Egypt of an Egyptian mother, and were rich and powerfull, and yet Jacob laying aside all those false goods, he turns his mind in their behalf to the goods belonging to the holy Seed, whereunto he doth unite them Leaning upon] the Hebrew text hath it, he worshipped upon the beds head, or toward the beds head, as 1 Kings 1:47. but S Paul in a thing indifferent, by Apostolical authority hath followed the Greek Translation, in which the Jewes that lived amongst the Grecians were more habituated: the meaning is the same, namely, that Jacobhaving had a promise from Joseph that he would bury him with his fathers, thanked God; and though he were growne impotent through age, that he could not stirre himselfe, nor get out of his bed; apprehending by faith the heavenly goods of the communion of Saints, whereof that company in his grave was a signe and an earnest. The same ought to be understood in the following example of Joseph.

Hebrews 11:23

By faith] the meaning is that the sight of that divine beauty of Moses, Acts 7:20. did againe revive in his father and mother, by some divine inspiration, their faith in Gods promises, that he would deliver his people out of Egypt: Whereupon for a time they were imboldned to keepe and bring up the child. Against Pharaohs command, though the same faith afterwards partly decaied againe in them.

Hebrews 11:24

By faith] Moses apprehending by faith the promises made to Gods people, because he would participate of them, did separate himselfe, from the society of the Egyptians, amongst whom he was brought up in great dignity, to joyne himselfe with the servile and ignominious condition of his brethren.

Hebrews 11:25

Of sinne] namely, prophane and hurtfull pleasures, joyned with sinne, and alluring a man to forsake God, and his true service.

Hebrews 11:26

Of Christ] that is to say, of his Church, whereof he hath alwaies been the head, and which he even then made conformable to his future sufferings, see 1 Cor. 10 9. 2 Cor. 1. 5. Hebrews 13:13. Had respect] through faith and the Spirit Unto the] to the heavenly reward which the Lord out of his meere grace had promised to his afflicted beleevers in this world.

Hebrews 11:27

By faith] this must be understood of the last departure out of Egypt, before which, and in which Moses did with an incomparable strength and force of faith, overcome the feare ofPharaohs rage, and threatnings, never swerving from Gods Commandement As seeing] being in Spirit and through faith assured of Gods aide and protection which was invisible to the sence of seeing, Psal. 16. 7.

Hebrews 11:28

Through faith] when he celebrated the Passcover according to Gods appointment, he did by a lively faith apprehend the benefits which God would signifie and seal by that Sacrament The Sprinkling] upon the lintell and postes of the Israelites doores Lest he that] that marke being appointed for that purpose.

Hebrews 11:29

By faith] they adventured to goe thorow the middest of the Sea, being confident in Gods promise. Or Gods promise produced that miraculous effect, by the meanes of faith which is the ordinary condition of such miracles.

Hebrews 11:30

By faith] namely, by means of faith in Gods promises, joyned with the observation of his order in going about the City.

Hebrews 11:31

By faith] Rahab because she verily believed that which she heard concerning Gods promises to his people, Ios. 2 9. did convey away the spies, whereupon she was saved from the destruction of the City With them that] namely, with the Canaanites who had likewise heard of Gods promises and workes, Joshua 2:10-11. and yet through incredulity grew obstinate to resist the Israelites: whereupon they were exterminated.

Hebrews 11:33

Wrought] did many good and holy workes performing their generall or particular callings, and through faith overcomming, all oppositions and difficulties Promises] namely, they obtained those things which God had promised.

Hebrews 11:35

Were tortured] the Italian, Were beaten to death] he meanes, a cruell kind of putting to death, which is yet used amongst your Easterne people, to lay a man all along, and beat him with wandes till he swell all over and die. Now he goeth on in describing the strength of their faith in former times, in suffering of persecutions and torments, especially in Antiochus his time, which are set down in the Books of the Maccabees Deliverance] which was ored them if they would deny God and his service A better] namely, the blessed and everlasting deliverance from death, and from all evill, opposite to that temporall evasion, which to the flesh might seem a kind of resurrection.

Hebrews 11:37

Sawen asunder] an ancient manner of putting to death, 2 Samuel 12:31. Tempted] that is to say, solicited to apostacie by martyrdomes and torments.

Hebrews 11:39

The promise] namely, the accomplishment of Gods promises made to the fathers, concerning the Messias his comming, his Kingdome, and the abundant sending of his Spirit.

Hebrews 11:40

God having] namely, the said accomplishment, having been reserved for our times, under the Gospell, which is therefore called the better covenant, upon better promises, Hebrews 7:1-28.2. & 8. 6. seeing the Law which hath made nothing perfect, Hebrews 7:19. having no power to bring the fathers to that last marke and degree of the state of the Church under Christs Kingdome, to which both they which are now in Heaven, and we who are upon Earth, joyned both under one head, Ephes. 1. 10. Colossians 1:20. Hebrews 12:23. have now attained.