SERMON III. Preached March the 4th 1717. Heb. xi. 6. But without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God: For he that cometh to God, muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him. HE great defign of the Apostle in this whole Chapter, is to fet forth the nature and effects of Faith, which, as we are told in the first verse, is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen, i, e. it is a firm perfuafion of mind concerning the truth of fomething future, which we hope for, and expect will hereafter come to pafs: And a conviction of the real existence of fome things, which are either in their own nature invisible to bodily eyes, or which, at least to us, cannot at present be feen, because they are at a distance in refpect of place or of time, paft or future. And by this, he says, the elders obtained a good report: That is, by virtue of this belief of an invifible principle, and a per-` fuafion of the reality of things not fubject to fense, those who lived in the earlier ages of the world, behaved themselves fo towards the Supreme Being, and towards their fellow-creatures, with whom they conversed, that their names were thought fit to be transmitted to posterity for their piety and virtue, in that Revelation which God was afterwards pleased to make of his will: And therefore the inftances, that are most particularly infifted on, are of those who lived before any written Revelation, and were governed by these first and natural principles of Religion; though by keeping to them, they had fometimes particular discoveries of the will of God vouchfafed to them, in this Chapter therefore we have, as it were, the first elements of Religious faith laid down and and exemplified, in the practice and behaviour of those whose lives were influenced by it. The first instance which he gives of Faith, is a general belief of the Creation of the world, by which we understand or conceive in our minds, that by the fole power and command of a fupreme Being, whom we call God, the world it felf, and all that belongs to it was at first brought into being, fo that the things which are now feen were made, but not out of things which did appear; that which had no being by an Almighty power began to be. The manner in which this was done, was in its own nature invisible to human fight, other things being firft brought into being before mankind existed; and it is impoffible to have it now represented over again to us. But however, from what we do fee, or from fome. other reasonings about our own existence, or otherwife, we do believe an invifible Maker and Governour of the world. Through faith. we understand, that the worlds were framed. by the word of God, so that things which are feen were not made of things which do appear. The next inftance of Faith, is a belief of God's having a regard to the actions of men, and their behavious both towards him and and towards one another, according to the difference of which he has a different refpect towards them, and their intended worship of him; as in the cafe of Abel and Cain, one of which, by reason of this belief, offered a sacrifice more acceptable to God than the other. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts: and by it, he being dead yet fpeaketh, i, e. his blood crying for vengeance or recompence for the lofs of life, to God, who had accepted his gifts, and declared him righteous, teaches us to believe, that notwithstanding he was unjustly flain, and his wicked brother furvived, yet God will make a difference between the innocent fufferer and the guilty murderer. His approbation or difapprobation fhall not be in vain, though we do not presently see the effects of them; which doctrine the cafe of Abel does as it were preach to all future generations. The third instance of Faith here given, is a belief of fome Reward to be received from the hand of God in another life, for our obedience to him in this, and our living according to his will, by what means foever it be manifefted. unto us; as in the cafe of Enoch; who, though he |